A resident was instructed to dismantle a large wooden staircase resembling a “bridge of sighs” in his backyard. Ben Davies, 25, constructed the towering timber structure to address the steep elevation changes in his Welsh valleys property, featuring a bridge-like platform elevated 2.7m (8.8ft) above a private lane connecting neighboring houses.
Following a planning dispute, an inspector in Abersychan, south Wales, deemed the staircase “unneighborly,” with concerns about its impact on the property’s character and nearby residents’ quality of life. Mr. Davies explained that the new structure aimed to replace an old stone staircase on his sloping terrain, emphasizing its necessity due to the challenging landscape.
Despite Mr. Davies’s arguments that the staircase was a suitable solution for the site’s topography, independent inspector Nicola Gulley, aligned with the Torfaen County Borough Council’s assessment, concluding that the development would negatively affect the property’s aesthetics and neighboring residents’ living conditions.
Dubbed “more like the bridge of size than the bridge of sighs” by locals, the staircase received criticism for its appearance and impact on the surroundings. Comparisons were drawn to the iconic Bridge of Sighs in Venice, Italy, known for connecting the Doge’s Palace to the New Prison, symbolizing the sighs of prisoners as they glimpsed the outside world for the last time.
Community members expressed discontent with the staircase, citing its unattractive nature and potential obstruction of sunlight for neighbors. The structure’s size and impact were likened to the Great Wall of China, eliciting concerns about its visual impact on the neighborhood.
