A retired couple’s plan to create more space in their home has been rejected after councillors said their proposed extension was ‘too big’.
Mark and Mandy Bradford applied for permission to add more living space to their house on Gardiner Road, Prestonpans, as well as a garage and workshop area.
Planners rejected their application saying the extension would have a footprint that would be’ disproportionately large’ compared to the house and would be ‘over development’.
And at a meeting of East Lothian Council’s Local Review Body this week councillors agreed as they rejected an appeal against the decision.
In their appeal statement the couple said they had lived in the house for 35 years and were looking forward to enjoying their retirement in it.
They said: “We now spend far more time here and made the decision to modify the house to suit our needs more. We thought out this plan with our architect and hoped it would be seen as a great improvement to the house and were quite amazed when it was refused for what felt like arbitrary reasons.”
However at the Local Review Body councillors urged the couple to rethink the size of the extension.
Councillor Andy Forrest said: “Having visited the site it puts everything in perspective and it is big what is planned. It is in my mind an over development of the site.”
Councillor Donna Collins said: “I can see where the applicant is coming from but it is an over development that is going to be quite a domineering feature at the side of the building.
“If they scaled it back a bit and it was more towards the rear of the house then I think that would have been more acceptable but this is just too big.”
Councillor Liz Allan agreed with colleagues saying: “Looking at the area and other houses it is quite clear it is an over development and too big.”
The appeal was unanimously rejected.
By Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency. It is funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector (in Edinburgh that is Reach plc (the publisher behind Edinburgh Live and The Daily Record) and used by many qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover news about top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.
