Garden room added to house described as 'intimidating' by neighbours

The rectangular wooden room was built at the bottom of a garden.

Garden room added to house in Haddington described as ‘intimidating’ by neighbours — There are claims that it is 'too big' and is 'out of character with other homes'. LDR

Local Democracy Reporting Service

10th Aug 2022

Neighbours objecting to a garden room which has been added to a house in their new estate have claimed it is intimidating.

The rectangular wooden room, built at the bottom of a garden in Lairds Crescent, in Haddington, has been recommended for approval when it goes before East Lothian Council’s planning committee next week.

However, councillors will be told 13 objections to the three-metre high room were lodged with claims it was too big, out of character with the other homes and impacted on the views from neighbouring gardens.

A report to the committee says among the objections raised were claims “the structure is of a size that will be overbearing and cause intimidation of surrounding properties.”

It was also claimed that if planning permission was granted for the five-metre long garden room which is already in place “the value of the surrounding properties will be affected” and “quality of life of the occupants of the neighbouring properties will suffer”.

Despite the claims planning officers said the garden room was “appropriate” to the rear garden setting of the house.

They said: “It does not appear as a harmfully dominant, overbearing, intrusive or incongruous feature within the rear garden of the house.

“Neither does it result in an overdevelopment of the rear garden of the property.

“Consequently it is not harmful to the character and appearance of the house or to the character and appearance of the area.”

The application will be decided by the committee next week.