East Lothian house finally given planning permission after 20-year battle

A 20-year battle to build a house on the edge of an East Lothian village has been won after councillors questioned why it was blocked while larger housing developments in the area were allowed to go ahead.

Councillors heard attempts to win permission for the house on a former market garden behind Speedwell House had been rejected because it would be a “conspicuous and incongruous outward extension of the village”.

However Tony Thomas, representing the latest application for the house off Dirleton Main Road by Donald Skinner, argued that ‘times had changed’ and the arguments first used to reject it 20 years ago no longer applied.

Mr Thomas told a meeting of the council’s planning committee the house, which would be hidden from the main road behind a tree line was on one of a number of established ‘fingers of development’ which stretched out from the main village and had become an established part of its character.

And he pointed out the site was within the boundary of the village itself.

During the planning meeting local ward councillor Jeremy Findlay, who called the application in for elected members to decide saying he believed it should be given a fresh look, said when he read the reason for refusal it raised a ‘wry smile’ pointing out the council had already allowed a large housing development to the east of the village which was “definitely conspicuous and incongruous right next to a national monument and against local wishes”

Dozens of new homes were approved on appeal to Scottish Ministers in 2019 on land under medieval Dirleton Castle, in the village, despite local protests, sparking his comments.

He said: “This proposed house is not conspicuous as it cannot be seen and is not incongruous as it is of similar design to many of the newer houses that already exist in the village.

Fellow ward councillor Liz Allan added: “We are prepared to have large numbers of new builds but somehow our local, single developments are a problem. I don’t really understand what is going on with this point.

“This is a very nice, very attractive and well though through application and we should be supporting these types of family homes for local people.”

Councillor Andy Forrest backed officers who recommended the application should be rejected saying he was concerned it would lead to more development at the site.

However Councillor Kenny McLeod recalled sitting on the Local Review Body when a previous application for the site was rejected several years ago.

He said: “The application has changed. It is one of these cases which should be done on its own merit and on this occasion I will be supporting the applicant.”

Planning convenor Norman Hampshire addressed comments about the housing development to the east of the village saying: “That expansion was done through the Local Development Plan as part of a requirement to build more houses in some of our villages and Dirleton did get some of these.

“Personally I see there is a need for villages to expand and I like it when we see an expansion by an individual or small builder because if we have the larger development it is always the bigger developers who get them whereas these individual projects give a much better variation of style and architecture.

“This site and the house which is proposed is acceptable under our planning policies.”

The committee approved the application by 11 votes to one with Councillor Forrest voting to back officers recommendations.