Agenda item

Copies of the following papers attached:-

There had been circulated copies of the request from Mr C. Lyle, per Stuart Patterson Building & Timber Frame Design, 5 Burnflat Lane, Hawick, to review refusal of the planning application for erection of a dwellinghouse on land South of Dodlands, Hawick.  The supporting papers included the Notice of Review; Decision Notice; Officer’s Report; papers referred to in the Officer’s Report; Consultations; and a list of policies. Members noted that although the proposed development site appeared to be a natural addition to the two adjacent houses, a building group of a minimum three existing houses did not exist and the proposal was therefore contrary to policy.  Members were sympathetic to the applicant’s concerns over the security of his livestock but noted that no economic justification for the house had been submitted.  In terms of the access to the site, although there were road safety concerns about the existing private access, Members accepted the applicant’s submissions that this access would be used to tend his livestock whether or not a house was built.  Members therefore agreed to omit the reason for refusal based on safety implications of an increased vehicular use of the access.

DECISION

AGREED that:-

(a)        the request for a review had been competently made in terms of Section 43A of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997;

(b)       the review could be considered without the need for any further procedure on the basis of the papers submitted;

(c)        the proposal would be contrary to the Development Plan and that there        were no other material considerations that would justify departure from         the Development Plan; and

(d)       the officer’s decision to refuse the application be upheld but varied and the application be refused, for the reasons detailed in Appendix IIl to this Minute.