A MAN who has lived in a rural cabin in Carmarthenshire for two years surrounded by wallabies, mongooses, porcupines, parrots and other rare birds has been told he has to move and stop using the land for non-agricultural animals.

Carmarthenshire Council issued him with an enforcement notice alleging breaches of planning control which, following an appeal, has now been upheld.

Planning agents representing the bird enthusiast said his former business in the grounds of Picton Castle, Pembrokeshire, ended because the lease wasn’t renewed. Mr Wale moved the birds to his farm in the north of the county which he then sold before moving to a 17-acre woodland and marshy grassland site near Llannon, Carmarthenshire.

His agents said he’d initially hoped to set up an owl garden centre, but had scaled back his plans.

The enforcement appeal submitted by the agents said he was living onsite in a log cabin which had been transported from Pembrokeshire and had erected animal and bird enclosures. As well as the more unusual animals, Mr Wale kept horses, goats, chickens and ducks and was in the process of buying some sheep.

The appeal document said: “The initial scheme (now abandoned) to establish a tourism facility on the site comprised not only various bird and animal aviaries and enclosures for the site, but the improvements to the vehicular access, the provision of a car park and the provision of reception, office/staff, toilet and vets centre buildings, together with reptile, mongoose and serval animal enclosures.”

It said a planning application was instead being prepared for a smaller-scale venture, including around 30 bird and animal enclosures and a potential veterinary-type building. It added that Mr Wale did not intend to keep living on site.

Council officers issued enforcement notices requiring Mr Wale to cease residential use of the land, remove the cabin and stop keeping non-agricultural birds and animals.

During the subsequent appeal, seven objectors expressed concerns about changes that had taken place at the land, sanitation, stray animals and unusual noises. One said: “The noises I hear daily are not those of native species,” while another claimed the noise “often sounds like a tropical jungle.”

Llannon councillor Llinos Mai Davies claimed the site adversely affected neighbouring properties and had a negative impact on the character of the area.

A planning inspector appointed by Welsh ministers has now dismissed the appeal subject to some wording amendments of the enforcement notice.

The inspector said Mr Wale should also be given 12 months, not six months, to stop using the land to keep non-agricultural animals, remove the enclosures and restore the site to its original condition. This matches the 12-month deadline to stop living on the land and remove the cabin and its associated foul drainage.

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Mr Wale’s agents told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that a planning application would be drawn up in a bid to keep the birds on site. The LDRS contacted Mr Wale but he did not respond at the time of going to press.