A holiday let owner has been given the go ahead to carry on renting it out despite claims there are too many short term rentals already on their street.
The three bedroom house on North Berwick’s Old Abbey Road was, a resident claimed, the fourth to be allowed to operate as a short term holiday let on it.
They said residential buyers were being ‘outbid by buy to let investors’ in the area as well as being put off by the prospect of having a holiday home next door.
And they said they had no idea there were any short term lets on the street when they moved in.
Objecting to the owner’s application for a licence to operate, they told a meeting of East Lothian’s licensing sub committee: “I purchased my house on the understanding that it was in a residential street, in a residential area.
“Residential buyers are being outbid by buy to let investors, while residential buyers are not attracted to properties which have adjacent, (though the wall, or floor), short term let properties.
“Unless the local housing strategy for North Berwick is to prioritise short term lets, over residential properties, I believe the creation of a row of three adjoining short term let properties on Old Abbey Road, increasing to four the number of short term let properties to my house, is disproportionate.”
The husband of applicant Carmel Mullan, who appeared at the committee meeting on her behalf, said the family bought the house on Old Abbey Road in 2008 and used it as a second home.
He said over the years it had been used both by family and friends as well as being rented out on short and longer term lets.
And he said in 16 years there had only been two complaints about tenants with both dealt with quickly and effectively by the couple.
Committee members heard the house did not require planning permission to be used as a short term let and no concerns were raised by police or licensing officers. The licence was unanimously approved.
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.
