After nearly half a century of quiet village life, residents in Halkyn claim the atmosphere around them has shifted dramatically. Locals living near a £1.6 million luxury holiday property in Flintshire claim noise and anti-social behaviour from visitors has disrupted what was once a peaceful rural setting.
However, the owners of the Old Church School insist they have taken every reasonable step to address neighbours’ concerns – resulting in a deadlock between both parties.
Guy Roberts, who resides with his wife and elderly father in the adjacent Old School House, claimed loud music and lighting continuing into the early hours of the morning, along with visitors celebrating in the rear garden of the 24-bed establishment, had destroyed the peaceful rural setting since it began welcoming guests in October, 2025.
“It’s simply not a suitable use for a property in this village,” Mr Roberts claimed. “When planning went in for a holiday let we thought that was what it would be, but it is almost like a venue.
“We have lived here for 46 years and this has changed the character of the place. I’m a truck driver, my wife is self-employed and has to work early so we need our rest. The noise is so bad my dad, who is deaf, is bothered by it.”, reports North Wales Live.
“We’ve tried to speak to the landlord, he agreed to put a device on the sound system to cut it off at 11pm but said he can’t stop guests bringing their own, which they are now doing.
“Also, the music is often on all day. It seems to be that people are coming for parties at the weekend rather than peaceful week-long holidays.
“They are out in the hot tub at all hours of the day and night and we can’t seem to get anywhere. We have reported it to the police but they can’t do anything and Flintshire County Council have set up equipment to monitor the noise but it is driving us crazy.
“We are not even in peak season yet so goodness knows what it will be like then.”
Mr Roberts has since sought the assistance of Brynford and Halkyn Cllr Fran Lister in finding a resolution.
“It’s clearly very distressing,” she said. “I remember when this went through planning as a holiday let and we had no objections as long as it’s not too noisy for the neighbours.
“It’s not fair that the neighbours are feeling this impact.” Make sure you never miss Wales’ biggest updates by getting our daily newsletter
However, a spokesperson for Halkyn Estates Ltd, the company running the property, stated that it had been taking residents’ complaints on board and working towards solutions.
“This was a Grade II Listed building that was falling into disrepair,” he said. “We spent £1.6 million to buy the building and refurbish it – preserving it for the community.
“We even included original artefacts, furniture and school photos from when it was a school in the interior.
“We have done everything by the book and I understand the problems residents have. We appreciate the issues around noise which is why we installed a shut-off system.
“We operate a number of properties and this is already a very popular one. We want to be part of the community and work with residents to resolve any issues because ultimately we want the tourism we bring to Halkyn to enhance the area.
“Guests are advised to be considerate of our neighbours and to ensure noise is kept down during unsocial hours.
“Our investment in the Old Church School has brought it back into use in a sustainable way. Between being a school and a holiday let the site was for some time a factory and when we bought it it still had planning classification as one.
“That would have created a lot more noise. We understand that our neighbours have concerns and we would welcome the opportunity to work with them to find a solution that suits everybody.”
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