Dunbar harbour spot gets holiday let green light after decade of paperwork provided

The owner of a holiday home next to Dunbar harbour has won the right to carry on letting after providing over a decade of paperwork to planners.

Graham Low applied for a certificate of lawfulness for the home, which he bought in 2012 to run as a holiday rental, from East Lothian Council.

The move means he will not have to apply for planning permission to change the use of the property, required under changes to the law, because he can prove it has been operating for over 10 years.

Planning officers said Mr Low, who lives in Galashiels, had provided them with records of all the guests who have stayed and payments, which showed the property had been used constantly since early 2013 as a holiday home.

Mr Low told planners he bought the house,which was being rented out by a previous owner, solely to let.

And he said: “I advertise my property through VRBO and I am described as a premier host for constantly providing great experiences for their guests.”

Changes to legislation last year means owners of short term holiday let properties need to apply for a licence to operate and in many cases require planning permission as well.

The alternative certificate of lawfulness can be applied for if the owner can prove the home has been operating without breaks for ten years or more.

Granting the licence to the owner of the house on Victoria Place, in the town, officers said: “Taking all of the submitted information into account as a whole, it has been satisfactorily demonstrated by the applicant that the maisonette flat of 1B Victoria Place, Dunbar has been operating as a unit of self-catering short term holiday let accommodation for a period of 10 years or more and, as such, is now lawful.”