A 65-year-old former tip worker who has lived in a luxury pad inside a shipping container in Newport for 30 years has been told he must leave within six months by the city council. Stephen Gibbons, a popular man among neighbours in St Brides, was found by the council to have been living on his three acres at Lighthouse Farm.
Newport council’s planning committee contended that Stephen had essentially changed the use of his agricultural buildings and yard with 14 sheep and a handful of horses and goats to a mixed-use facility, including for vehicle repairs and a dwelling. Stephen says he hasn’t repaired vehicles at the farm other than one tractor, but he accepts he has lived there since 1992 and has never notified the authorities or applied for a change of use.
The property, jam-packed with stunning ornaments and décor, includes three swanky living areas, one bedroom, and a bathroom. Stephen, who says he has “lost everything” as a result of the council’s decision, appealed the enforcement notice in 2021.
