GREAT Bedwyn residents, who say they have been kept in the dark about a controversial mobile home development, are hopeful it will not be allowed to go ahead, as they believe it will set a precedent.

Julia and Andrew Hole, of Spaines, say they have never been officially informed about their next door neighbour's plans to build a mobile home, now complete with a kitchen, lounge, bathroom, study and bedroom, in their garden.

The first the Hole family heard about the 11m long and 6.3m wide building was in November when the diggers turned up. Two months on, the building, which does not have planning permission, is near completion.

Despite being assured by their nextdoor neighbours, the Rutt family, that the building would not overlook their property, the Holes say this is not the case. The development has angered the local community, raising fears more mobile homes will appear all over the place.

Mrs Hole said: "We and much of the community are horrified by this. People can see it from a very long way away, it is very in your face.

"Ernie Tomlin, the father-in-law of Phillip Rutt, is the one who is leading this and he and his wife are planning on living there. This is a total violation of our privacy. They say they have a certificate of lawfulness that allows this to go ahead.

"This huge thing they have built means that they can see into our garden and our conservatory. We have young children and we feel we have to pull the blinds as they can see into our house.

"We have always been on good terms with them. We have cut hedges for them and done guttering for them so when we saw the diggers arrive in November with no warning we were not happy.

"Despite being assured by them that it would not overlook us or be intrusive, it is none of these things. Mr and Mrs Rutt said it was nothing to do with them and that it was his father-in-law Mr Tomlin and his wife who were overseeing this.

"We just hope this will not be allowed to go ahead as it could start a dangerous precedent."

Earlier this month the parish council said they would object to the development if planning permission was granted.

Chairman of Great Bedwyn Parish Council, Charles Howard, said: "We are very worried this will pop up in every garden if this gets approved. It is making a nonsense of planning law.

"Wiltshire Council gave them a certificate of lawfulness saying they could put up a mobile building, but the question is, is it a mobile building because it certainly does not look like one. I would not like that by my house."

A Wiltshire Council spokesman said: "The owners of the property have a certificate of lawfulness for the siting of a mobile home. We have been alerted to the fact the mobile home may not be constructed fully in accordance with this original certificate and are currently investigating the issue.

"The owners of the property were advised that they continue work at their own risk should it be later determined that the caravan is not in line with the certificate issued and therefore requires planning permission."

The Gazette had not been able to contact the Rutt family for their views by the the time the paper went to press.