Neighbours are in uproar over the smell, fearing it will cause house prices on the road to plummet (Picture: BNPS)

A scaffolder living on a millionaire’s row is causing a stink among neighbours after building a summer house with a toilet that drains into a cesspit in his garden.

Gary Levesconte installed a loo inside the building so visiting family and friends would not have to traipse back to the main house and up a spiral staircase to relieve themselves.

But he also had to fit a submerged cesspit to take all the waste.

Now neighbours are in uproar, claiming it gives off an ‘unbearable stench’ when it is emptied, which wafts down their leafy road in Bournemouth, Dorset.

Mr Levesconte did not get planning permission for the summer house, toilet and cesspit, and has submitted a retrospective application in a bid to keep them, the Daily Mail reports.

But several other residents have written objection letters to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, claiming the smell will cause the value of their homes to plummet.

Greg Howe, a former company director who lives in a £1m Georgian-style six-bedroom detached house next door, said he is worried that if they are allowed to stay ‘it will have a detrimental impact on not just the value of my home but all the others in the road as well’.

Local councillor Brian Chick (centre in dark blue shirt) with angry residents (Picture: Graham Hunt/BNPS)

He added: ‘Whenever it is emptied it creates an unbearable stench that permeates the entire road. It is horrendous. It makes it impossible to open the windows or venture outside.

‘We are not in the middle of the countryside where there might be a need for a property to have a cesspit, nor are we living in Victorian times.’

Henrikka Kemppi, who lives in a flat above said allowing them to remain would mean ‘I would be subjected to the odour of my neighbours and their relatives’ bodily waste’, adding: ‘Considering the size of Mr Levesonte’s extensive family, the cesspool would likely be utilised by a significant number of people.’

And Linda Bedford said: ‘It would be detrimental to anyone in the vicinity, and especially anyone attempting to enjoy the back gardens.’

More: Trending

In his application, Mr Levesconte said he built the summer house to replace an old one which had fallen into disrepair and intends to use it ‘in the summer when having barbecues or family round’.

He said: ‘It is not my intention to upset any of my neighbours. They say the smell is disgusting but there is no smell. The toilet has been fitted correctly.

‘I had a 60th birthday party in the garden three weeks ago and I never smelt anything.

‘(The toilet) is not used daily or even weekly. But when we have the grandchildren over you can imagine how many times they want to go to the toilet and we have a first floor flat with a spiral staircase to get to it.

‘He (Mr Howe) has claimed the smell is disgusting all the time but no way is that the case, that is not true. It is emptied once in six months and I have had it emptied just once since I have had it and it wasn’t that bad.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].

For more stories like this, check our news page.

‘Whenever it is emptied it creates an unbearable stench that permeates the entire road. It is horrendous.’