THE full extent of neighbours’ complaints about the privately rented ‘party houses’ in plush Canford Cliffs and Sandbanks were laid bare in Parliament yesterday.

Poole MP Robert Syms, who secured a Westminster Hall debate on the issue, reiterated that residents lives were being made a “misery” by the houses that - as previously reported in the Daily Echo - are being used for raves, stag and hen parties.

He outlined a catalogue of his constituents complaints, including: n Drunken revellers playing football in gardens at 3am.

• Prostitutes arriving at all hours.

• Blow up sex toys, visible to young children, displayed in broad daylight.

• Up to 50 revellers staying at houses with thumping bass music all night.

• Party-goers drunkenly climbing neighbours’ trees.

A number of properties, some worth millions of pounds, are being offered at weekends for around £750 a night.

Poole’s Deluxe Holiday Homes, whose portfolio includes houses in Canford Cliffs, Sandbanks, Branksome and Lilliput is renting out some of the homes.

Michelle King, of Deluxe Holiday Homes, said she would speak to the Echo after consulting her solicitor. Borough of Poole have acknowledged the issue and insist its officers are “exploring every avenue to deal with the matter effectively.”

Meanwhile, Mr Syms, speaking at Westminster Hall, explained: “Some of the websites have associated services – for instance, if you’re having a hen party you can rent a naked butler.

“One constituent arrived home one day with his young daughter, aged seven or eight, to find the house next door had blow-up dolls, bought from a sex shop, all the way around the veranda.

“He had to tiptoe over and ask them to take them down “Most of it is high spirits, but the reality is it is inappropriate for a residential area and spills over into activities that are very inappropriate indeed.

“Another of my constituents wrote to me telling me about the screaming, the shouting, prostitutes being delivered well into the night, loud music, bottles thrown into his garden. I hear stories of elderly people barricading themselves into the homes because of the noise.”

According to Mr Syms, one retired solicitor and his wife had even purchased a caravan so they could get out at weekends in order to sleep.

He added: “What we have seen in recent years is residential properties being used inappropriately as party houses. Branksome Park, Canford Cliffs and Penn Hill are strong residential areas which are lived in by, generally, a lot of professional people who have worked hard all their lives.”

 

• Six nuisance houses

Borough of Poole has received complaints from 16 residents in relation to noise nuisance from six houses in Canford Cliffs and Sandbanks since 2011, it has been confirmed.

Following council investigations, noise abatement notices have been severed on two properties.

Cllr Xena Dion, cabinet portfolio holder for the environment, said the behaviour of some of the visitors has been “unacceptable.”

She added: “The council has taken this mater very seriously and dedicated a significant amount of effort to resolve it.

“We have tremendous sympathy for the residents affected but as it is very unpredictable the powers available to us are currently limited.”

New Government regulations, set to come into force later this year under the Anti Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, could provide local authorities with another way a combating the problem, but the relevant sections of the act have yet to be commenced.

Cllr Dion said: “However, we are continuing to explore every avenue to deal with the matter effectively.

“We have visited on numerous occasions in the early hours of the morning to witness noise nuisance, and have installed digital noise recorders in the houses of some nearby residents in order to gain the necessary evidence required to take enforcement actions.”

Borough of Poole says it encourages residents affected by noise nuisance from such houses to report the matter at the time it is happening by telephoning the out-of-hours number of 0800 506050.