Our £600,000 dream home faces demolition after planning wrangle
A COUPLE could be forced to demolish their £600,000 dream mansion after falling foul of planning laws.
David and Dawn Allan built a huge villa in their hometown of Gorebridge, Midlothian.
They applied for permission for the development in 2018 after flattening an existing building on the site.
The couple submitted plans to Midlothian Council and started construction after being given a building warrant. The couple said there were changes made to the building along the way and they applied for retrospective planning permission.
However, officials said a ‘hipped’ roof over the top of garages at the house is ‘detrimental’ to the local area and should be removed. The Allans, who run a coach
‘Building warrant granted in error’
company, pleaded for extra time to remedy issues with the home but were hit with an enforcement notice warning them to make changes or demolish the property by the summer.
The couple appealed to the Scottish Government but have been told missed deadlines mean nothing can be done.
Mrs Allan, 50, said they face bills of more than £100,000 to alter the house and had already spent £16,000 in fees in their battle.
The couple claimed the council granted a building warrant ‘in error’ but the local authority said this is inaccurate.
In a letter to the Government, Mrs Allan said: ‘In 2019 I was issued with a building warrant and a letter to confirm I could proceed with the construction. My builders built the house according to this warrant plan with a few changes made along the way for which we submitted retrospective planning.
‘It was discovered during this application that the building warrant was granted in error by Midlothian Council as the planning had not in fact been granted to accompany it. This was only discovered once the house was built in 2020.’
She added: ‘The error of issuing us with a building warrant in the first instance and the subsequent work involved with new plans, structure, demolition and rebuilding required, is going to cost us over £100,000 that we did not budget for and may well result in us finishing the house and having to sell it if this can’t be resolved.
‘I am also at the mercy of builders and engineers being so busy for months ahead and the trouble of obtaining building materials.
‘The stress has affected my physical and mental health for which I am now on medication. I have been trying to resolve the matter all this year and have spent over £16,000 on architect and planning and building warrant fees so far.’
A Midlothian Council spokesman said: ‘We can confirm the building warrant was not issued in error and all relevant procedures were followed. We served an enforcement notice on November 18 because the building doesn’t comply with the approved plans.
‘We raised the issue of the unauthorised work with the owner’s planning agent in February and gave the owner time to make the required changes. The owner has the option of either making those changes by April 20 or demolishing the building by June 20.’
Turning down the appeal bid, government reporter Emma Brown said: ‘The appeal has now been checked and I must inform you that it is out of time.’