Wells WI in bitter clash with 'party house' next door over pool and hot tub

A 100-year-old Women's Institute in Wells Next The Sea, Norfolk, is locked in a bitter planning row with a private rental next door after its owner installed a plunge pool and a hot tub in the garden of the former Wells Youth Hostel. The adjacent property, purchased for £400,000 in April 2024 by architect Tom Leahy, has been marketed as a £4,000-a-week retreat that can sleep up to 20 guests. A retrospective planning application seeks to move the pool closer to the WI Hall and add an outdoor kitchen, a pizza oven and a barbecue area.

The Wells WI, which has used the hall behind a former youth hostel since the 1920s, says the pool has effectively been reoriented, blocking a space members previously used for access, parking and turning around. In its objection letter, the WI described the changes as unapproved alterations that would leave members with little space to park or reach the hall, and it warned that noise and the loss of parking could undermine the organisation’s ability to attract and retain members, potentially affecting its long-term sustainability.

Wells Town Council has joined the objections, saying the development rides roughshod over the Wells neighbourhood plan and residents’ privacy. Town clerk Emma Gunhouse noted that the site had already seen hard landscaping work not included in the original submission, a factor the council said justified its objection to the retrospective application. A recent on-site check also found new hard landscaping introduced alongside the approved plans.

The council’s stance echoed a sense of anxiety in the town about the impact of the private rental, which neighbours describe as an outdoor activity hub with sleeping accommodation attached. They argued that the presence of a pool, hot tub, outdoor kitchen and pizza oven could invite noise and activity that disrupts the WI hall’s use and the surrounding residential area. One neighbor said the WI’s activities contribute to the town’s social fabric, offering companionship and mental health support, and warned that restricted access could erode those benefits.

Owner Tom Leahy has defended the project as being well within safety standards and said his properties operate with measures to keep noise under control. He noted that his company uses noise monitors and sends text alerts to guests if noise thresholds are exceeded, with offending guests risking deposits being forfeited. Leahy insisted the pool is more than a metre from the WI Hall and described concerns about safety and fire risk as unfounded. He added that the pool’s orientation was adjusted after gravel clearance revealed two manhole covers connected to the WI Hall drains, which could not be built over, requiring the redirection of the pool.

Leahy, who already runs six similar properties across the country, said he did not expect the application to be refused and encouraged residents to “give us a chance,” noting that elsewhere his properties have earned a reputation for good management. He said the current work includes both interior and exterior changes at the former youth hostel, which is now being marketed as a modern home suitable for corporate trips, retreats or family gatherings, with an advertised weekly rate around £3,938 on the Finest Retreats platform.

The Wells WI’s spokespeople have argued that the organization’s age and the nature of its activities—meeting and social support for members, many of whom are elderly—make safe and accessible access to the hall essential. They warned that if the hall becomes difficult to reach, or if meetings are disrupted by nearby noise, the WI’s ability to serve its members could be compromised and, in the worst case, the organization could fold. The WI has stressed that it remains a vital community hub for Wells, and its loss would affect the town’s social wellbeing.

North Norfolk District Council will rule on the retrospective planning application at a future date. In the meantime, the dispute has highlighted tensions between a long-standing community institution and a private development marketed as a luxury retreat, raising questions about compatibility between private hospitality ventures and nearby civic spaces as coastal towns navigate growth, tourism pressures and planning oversight.