Couple buy 2,800 square metre garden from council for £12,000

A couple who leased land deemed “unmarketable” from East Lothian Council to shelter their home from a country road have been allowed to buy it for £12,000.

A report to councillors says the 2,850 square metres of land at Inglisford, outside Gifford, had been rented by the couple for twenty years for £600 a year as part of an agreed-upon 99-year lease.

However, the owners of the house, who use the area of land, which lies between their home and the road as garden ground, offered to purchase the land from the local authority during a recent review and it was ruled the land had little alternative use.

The report, which has been lodged with the members’ library during summer recess, tells councillors that their head of infrastructure approved the sale.

It says: “The owners have been leasing the land since 2005 for use as garden ground and to shelter their property from the main road.

“They currently have 79 years left on a 99-year lease. The passing rent is £600. Following notification of their latest rent review they have made an offer to purchase the land outright rather than continue to rent the land.

“Due to ground conditions and burns that run through the land this land is not suitable for grazing or development and due to the remote location, there is little to no market demand for this land.”

The report acknowledges that while the council will receive £12,000 which will be transferred into its trading account it does lose the £600 it would have continued to receive in rent for a further 79 years in the deal.