What an eyesore! Homeowner's fury after giant car workshop erected in 'touching distance' of his garden

Outrage has broken out among homeowners who were plunged into darkness after a huge car workshop was built in 'touching distance' of gardens without proper planning permission.Residents of Surdington in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, claim to have been robbed of sunlight and their views by the giant 'oil tanker-like' corrugated metal shed.Some now have sleepless nights, kept up by the noisy flags hanging from the building, flapping in the wind.Business owner Peter Davidson, 61, applied to redevelop his workshop for his business, Shire Cars, which included extending the building back in 2022.But after the structure was built, neighbours complained the eyesore now looms over their gardens and has left them 'imprisoned in the dark'.Homeowner Mark Welsh's garden now looks as though it's been boxed in by dark 7.1-metre-tall grey metal walls.The 55-year-old revealed how the 'absurdly large' 33-metre-long workshop was built so close to the boundary of his garden he can now reach over his fence and touch it.He said the 'oppressive shoebox' which overlooks the back garden has 'permanently ruined' his family bungalow and living in the gloom is 'depressing.' Mark Welsh, 55, said he was left 'imprisoned in the dark' after the 7.1-metre-high grey metal walls were erected right on the boundary of his garden He called the 33-metre-long building an 'oppressive shoebox' that has 'permanently ruined' his family bungalow. He said it was the largest building with half a mileMr Welsh, a married dad-of-two, who runs a product and business design company, said: 'It's the largest building within a half-mile radius and it's so close you can stand in our garden and reach out and knock on the wall.'From the moment the walls went up, we have been shut off and imprisoned in the dark.'Our garden is now towered over by walls and we had to drain the pond because it was being covered in algae.'We can't get a phone signal in some places, we can't install solar panels and we have to have the heating on more.'And living in gloom is depressing.'So now we face another long, dark winter, while Shire Cars continue trading in their giant premises'.Mr Welsh says he objected when the planning application was first submitted in 2021, but it was approved anyway.Mr Welsh, along with 36 other people, objected when the retrospective planning application was submitted in 2025 after it was found that there was some deviation in the building's development from the original plan.He claims the building has ended up being around 1.2 times bigger than what was originally planned.Mr Davidson disputes this, however, saying that the development is almost exactly how the planning permit in 2022 said it should be.But he did admit there were some unexpected deviations made during development, which he is currently looking for retrospective permission for.Mr Welsh added: 'Shire Cars built in every way bigger than they were supposed to, and for several years it seemed that it was allowed to happen.'Architecturally it has ruined everything that ever made our house nice, and now we're fighting to preserve it.'It's the architectural volume of it, the bulk. It's completely inappropriate; it's a giant shoebox sat right on the boundary.' The massive workshop is literally within touching distance of Mr Welsh's garden Mr Welsh said that the family's pond has started to grow algae due to the lack of sunlight so he had to drain it Owner of Shire Cars Peter Davidson, 61, is desperate to make a success of his new development, which he spent £1.5million on. 'If I'm not successful, I'll be bankrupt,' he saidOther neighbours complained that flagpoles and flags erected on the site also generated 'excessive noise.'One resident wrote: 'The sound that the flags make is comparable to continuous banging, similar to bins being struck repeatedly, and is particularly disruptive during quieter periods such as at night.'This disturbance has affected our sleep, woken our children, and is having a detrimental impact on our health and wellbeing.'Mr Davidson says he was granted full approval to undertake the work and maintains he has done nothing wrong following an extensive planning row with the local council.He has since been refused retrospective planning permission and now faces the possibility of having to take the building down, if his appeals fail.This, he claims, will leave him at risk of losing his home and his business, after he spent around £1.5 million on the build.He said: 'The strain on my family and me is phenomenal; I've cashed every pension I have, re-mortgaged our home and sold my cars. If I'm not successful, I'll be bankrupt.'The council have made me look like this bloke who just decided out of the blue to build whatever they want, without caring about anyone else. It couldn't be further from the truth.'But I'd never have invested my life savings without planning permissions - I'm just an ordinary bloke and I've been left looking like I intentionally flouted the rules.'He said he faced unexpected deviations from the original plan, which led to breaches in planning permissions.He added: 'But the fundamental thing is that the building is still 99 per cent of the approved plan from 2022.'Fundamentally we've not done anything wrong.'Pictures show the site before and after Mr Davidson's development. Mr Welsh's house is on the left An old picture of the previous workshop at Shire Cars. Mr Davidson said if his retrospective planning bid is rejected again, he will appeal to the Secretary of StateShire Cars submitted their retrospective application for the deviations from the originally approved 2022 plan in November 2025.Last month, Tewkesbury Borough Council's planning department refused to issue permission for the development, declaring the building in breach.It said: 'Its mass, height and proximity to the shared boundary with the neighbouring dwelling known as Tynings Reach, would appear unduly dominant and overbearing and would result in unacceptable overshadowing, loss of light and harm to outlook from habitable rooms and the outdoor amenity space serving that property.'Shire Cars say they will lodge a further appeal with the Secretary of State should their first appeal be denied.Councillor Sarah Hands, lead member for planning and place making at Tewkesbury Borough Council, said: 'Councillors refused the application as they felt the size, height and position of the development would have an unacceptable impact on a neighbouring property, by reducing light and affecting its outlook.'The applicant has the right to appeal to the Planning Inspectorate, which would independently review the case.'