A millionaire supermarket chain owner and his Masterchef wife have been accused of cutting down protected trees at their beauty spot home – and turning the grounds into a private racing track.
Chris Kiley, 66, and his estranged former Miss Great Britain beauty queen wife Alice, 32, have faced complaints over building work and noise coming from their £2.5million home overlooking Caswell Bay on the Gower, South Wales.
Neighbours alleged that trees were being illegally cut down in the Gower Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which was the first AONB designated in Britain in 1956.
They also complained that Mr Kiley and his friends were reportedly using the grounds as a ‘racing track’ for off-road bikes.
Mr Kiley and his estranged wife Alice live in a £2.5million house (pictured) overlooking the Welsh coast
Pictured: The supermarket millionaire’s home in Caswell Bay on the Gower seen from above
Chris Kiley (left) and his wife Alice (right) have faced complaints about building work and noise coming from their £2.5million home overlooking Caswell Bay on the Gower, South Wales
One neighbour said: ‘There is noise coming from there at all hours. This is usually such a quiet and peaceful area but it’s like they’re digging Spaghetti Junction.
‘It is supposed to be a nature reserve but recently there have been races going on there on quad bikes and motorbikes. It’s as if he’s building a track.’
Mr Kiley said he was tackling the noise issues, and insisted he was not aware that any protected trees had been felled in the nature reserve on his grounds. It is understood Mr Kiley and his wife have recently split up.
The businessman added the early morning noise was due to work being done to erect a new barn, and that it would stop in wake of the complaints.
Mr Kiley said he was tackling the noise issues, and insisted he was not aware that any protected trees had been felled in the nature reserve on his grounds (Pictured: His £2.5million home)
The supermarket millionaire also claimed a tree survey had not showed he was cutting down protected trees
Pictured: The view from Caswell Bay near Swansea, which Mr Kiley’s house overlooks
It comes after Mr Kiley had plans to build a modern Grand Designs house complete with a super-kitchen overlooking the Bay blocked by planners in October.
The supermarket millionaire wanted a huge open plan living area downstairs for himself and his wife Alice, who appeared on TV cooking contest Masterchef in 2013.
Mr Kiley, who owns supermarket chain CK’s Foodstores, said the home would fit ‘seamlessly’ into the character of the seafront, but planners said it would ‘ruin the area.’
There were 14 letters of objection to the ‘box-like’ and ‘incongruous’ house, and Swansea Council planning officers turned the application down. Mr Kiley then appealed the decision, which was again denied by a top planning inspector.
Pictured: Alice Kiley seen second from right during the final of the Miss Great Britain pageant in 2012
A spokesman for Swansea Council confirmed it had been informed about alleged noise, building work and trees being felled at the supermarket boss’s house.
‘We recently served a notice on the landowner to address complaints about early morning works and the related noise disturbance,’ he said.
‘Further complaints from residents concerned about ongoing works have prompted a number of site visits – where we have established a small number of trees in a protected area have been felled.
‘We are currently examining these unauthorised works so we can determine what steps are taken in terms of enforcement.’
Mr Kiley is also seeking council approval to move a horse riding area closer to his existing stable block.
It comes after Mr Kiley had plans (pictured above) to build a modern Grand Designs house complete with a super-kitchen overlooking the Bay blocked by planners in October
Mr Kiley, who owns supermarket chain CK Foodstore, said the home would fit ‘seamlessly’ into the character of the seafront, but planners said it would ‘ruin the area’
A Welsh Government-appointed planning inspector previously ruled that the horse riding area which had been built failed to conserve the Gower Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Local Bishopston councillor Lyndon Jones said constituents had raised concerns about aspects of the recent work in connection with the new barn and access to it.
He said: ‘I’ve been taking up issues on behalf of residents. I’ve had great support from the council in dealing with them.’
Mr Kiley said he was tackling the noise issues and was not aware that any protected trees had been felled in the nature reserve in his grounds.
He said the early morning noise was due to work being done to erect a new barn, and that would stop in wake of the complaints.
He also claimed a tree survey had not showed he was cutting down protected trees.
He said: ‘The woodland is a mess – it’s thick with ivy. I employed someone to do a survey of it.’