{"NewsItems":[{"Headline":"Home owners referred to the procurator fiscal","Excerpt":"","FeaturedImage":"https:\/\/www.midlothianview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1-Laurel-Bank-Road-Mayfield.jpg","Content":"

\"1-Laurel-Bank-Road-Mayfield\"<\/p>\n

The sunroom and garage in Laurel Bank Road Mayfield which the council has ordered to be demolished.<\/p>\n
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Marie Sharp<\/b>

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Home owners who failed to pay fines for breaching planning rules could face court after Midlothian Council referred them to the Crown Office.<\/p>\n

Councillors this week approved plans to seek prosecution against two separate homes where they issued enforcement notices which have not been met.<\/p>\n

One of the cases involves couple James Bevis and his partner Louise who built a sunroom and garage at the side of their corner house in Mayfield five years ago for just \u00a33,000.<\/p>\n

Midlothian planners objected to the structure, saying it was too far forward from the front of their home and appeals failed to win them support.<\/p>\n

At a meeting of Midlothian Council\u2019s planning committee yesterday planning chief Peter Arnsdorf told councillors a \u00a32,000 Fixed Penalty Notice had been issued to the couple after they failed to demolish the sunroom and garage as ordered by the notice but had not been paid.<\/p>\n

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Ward councillor Bryan Pottinger expressed concern over the action telling the committee: \u201cI can\u2019t see many reasons or how it affects the sight line and I wondered how many public objections there were and how it was officially raised to begin with and did we seek a compromise.<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand it is outwith the guidelines. It is a tidy building that matches the area.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the time of the planning application for the addition to the home, the officers\u2019 report said no letters of objection were received and two neighbours wrote in support of it.<\/p>\n

Councillor Pottinger was told the council and home owner had gone through the planning process and it was a breach which required the next step of action.<\/p>\n

The action was unanimously approved by the committee who were also asked to approve referring a farmhouse owner who failed to change windows on an approved extension from clear to opaque.<\/p>\n

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Mr Arnsdorf said the owner of the property at Edgehead, Pathhead, failed to act on the enforcement notice or pay a \u00a32,000 fine issues.<\/p>\n

He said the Grade C listed building had been given planning consent for an extension but two windows had to be opaque because they overlooked neighbours.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cThe approved extensions and alterations have been constructed, however clear glazing has been installed in all windows, including those approved as being opaque, thereby causing detriment to the amenity of adjoining residents.\u201d<\/p>\n

The committee unanimously backed sending the Edgehead case to the Crown Office. Any decision to prosecute will be taken by the procurator fiscal.<\/p>\n

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<\/div>","PostId":18332},{"Headline":"Housebuilder gives Guerrilla Gardeners \u00a31000","Excerpt":"","FeaturedImage":"https:\/\/www.midlothianview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Struan-9-Laura-Tough-of-Stewart-Milne-Homes-and-Mariam-9-helping-to-create-the-new-community-garden.jpg","Content":"

\"Struan-(9),-Laura-Tough-of-Stewart-Milne-Homes-and-Mariam-(9)-helping-to-create-the-new-community-garden\"<\/p>\n

Struan (9), Laura Tough of Stewart Milne Homes and Mariam (9) helping to create the new community garden.<\/p>\n
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Luke Jackson<\/b>

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Danderhall and District Guerrilla Gardeners have welcomed \u00a31000 of funding from leading housebuilder, Stewart Milne Homes, as the group gets underway with the creation of a new community garden.<\/p>\n

With support from pupils at Danderhall Primary School, the local gardening club has been a force for good within the community since it was established in 2020. As well as creating several attractive spaces for the community to enjoy, the group has formed a strategic partnership with the primary school to help encourage the next generation of keen gardeners.<\/p>\n

Danderhall and District Guerrilla Gardeners currently take a group of local primary children out of class for one hour per week to learn more about the wonders of nature and teach them practical gardening skills, such as potting plants and growing vegetables, across the village.<\/p>\n

Last year, Stewart Milne Homes helped the group with a donation towards starter gardening packs for pupils including gardening gloves, trowels and forks, pots, hyacinth bulbs and compost, craft materials and litter grabbers. The funding also went towards the purchase of wildlife habitats including hedgehog homes and bird boxes which have been installed across the village and high-vis jackets for the pupils to wear when out and about in the community.<\/p>\n

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The housebuilder has now aided efforts with a further \u00a31000 for 2023 activity, which will be used for the group and pupils to establish a new community garden just yards away from the local Co-Op. Specifically, the funding has been used to purchase hedgerow to help create a private space and new seasonal plants that the children have started to pot as the spring days approach.<\/p>\n

Helen Dougan, member of Danderhall & District Guerrilla Gardeners, said: \u201cWe are very proud to have fostered a strong relationship with the local primary school and we are grateful to the staff who encourage pupils to get outdoors alongside us to help make meaningful impact within the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt makes it all worthwhile when we see the eagerness from the kids to get outdoors, enjoy the fresh air and learn new skills that we hope they will use throughout their lifetime. The funding from Stewart Milne Homes is a great help to accelerate our new community garden that will be a welcome addition to local residents, providing a new space for people to get outdoors, relax and take time for themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laura Tough, marketing manager for Stewart Milne Homes, said: \u201cIt was fantastic to visit Danderhall to meet with the group and pupils who are helping to enhance the already vibrant village. Helping to support an initiative that puts wellbeing and skills development at its heart is incredibly rewarding and I am proud to see how our contribution is helping the group continue its mission.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt Stewart Milne Homes, our ethos is rooted in creating people shaped places that uphold the very best of flexible and modern-day living. Our nearby development, Shawfair, has been designed with a people-first approach with plentiful pockets of green space and active travel links woven into the design, complementing the efforts of the Danderhall & District Guerrilla Gardeners to create an attractive place to call home.\u201d<\/p>\n

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