A CONVERTED shipping container room on Airbnb has divided opinion, with local authorities labelling it "an abomination".
But the room, which doesn't yet have planning permission, has been praised by locals.
A retrospective planning application had been put in for the container behind the Eat Drink Sleep B&B in Sleaford in Lincolnshire.
However, the application has been called in for scrutiny after concerns were raised about its design and location in the town.
The container was intended for use as two Airbnb rooms complete with running water, electricity and drainage.
The owner said the container was "in keeping with the industrial nature of Moneys Mill area" and added they intended to paint it over and install a natural roof garden.
However, councillors were not impressed by the plans – and now the people behind it must try to convince them in a separate application or they could be forced to remove it.
In a post on its Facebook page, North Kesteven District Council said members of the planning sub-committee had labelled it as "appalling".
They wrote: "'Appalling, ghastly, horrible, truly hideous, an abomination, awful' – all reactions by councillors in response to this shipping container being used as an Airbnb in Sleaford."
"A planning committee last night refused a retrospective application for it to be used behind EDS B&B at Southgate, where it was felt to be incongruous with a conservation area and harmful to the area and its listed buildings.
"One side is already converted into a 'pod' with access cut into container wall, shower, toilet, seating, double bed etc. Solar panels and outdoor area with artificial grass were planned to complete the set-up."
Mr Suiter called the application in over concerns about its design.
He said: "Containers are increasingly being used as building materials. Some of them have received awards for their design and they can be built relatively quickly.
"The application was basically a raw container that hadn't been cladded and it was in a conservation area. It looked like something that would be more in keeping with an industrial site than in the centre of Sleaford.
"I hope the applicant will consider taking on board all the advice the committee gave and come back with a new application."
However, the decision did not go down well, with some people calling it "utter rubbish".
One person wrote: "I'm sorry but utter rubbish, these pods are great, can't believe that the council would stand in the way of much needed and well thought out accommodation, and the fact they're recycled shipping containers is even better!
"I hope this can be re-presented to the council and they reconsider their decision."
Another wrote: "I think it's fab inside. They could always just paint the outside to help it blend in a little but maybe the idea is for it to stand out."
Another person said they could see where the council was coming from, but thought it was a good use of the space.
They wrote: "To be fair all they really need to do is put in an order for it to be clad appropriately to fit the area.
"Would be a good idea if councils took note of what's possible because if we did more of this then we could house the homeless very well and very cheaply."
A man was shocked to find his £100 Airbnb in Amsterdam was in fact an illegal shipping container on the side of the road.
Another woman paid £30 to stay in New York only to find her Airbnb room was a sleeping bag underneath the stairs.
The cheapest Airbnb in the UK is just £7 a night – as long as you don't mind sleeping in the back of a car.
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