Thursday April 2nd 2026
The owner of home at Hunter Steading wants to create a double patio door entrance for wheelchair use. Photo courtesy ELC planning portal.
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Marie Sharp
A fresh bid to install double doors on a converted steading in the East Lothian countryside has been rejected despite claims it was needed for wheelchair access.
The owners of the property in the Category A listed steading on the outskirts of Innerwick, had applied to widen the doorway into their home saying it was needed to provide independent wheelchair access for family members.
And they provided photographs of the inside of the property to back their claims alternative access routes were not practical and did not provide a “dignified solution” for those with mobility issues.
However a meeting of East Lothian Council’s planning committee heard the current door access was slightly larger than the average 900mm width required for standard wheelchair access in homes.
And planners said widening the door access would “harmfully disrupt and unbalance” the look of the building.
A previous bid by the owners to win permission to change the building was rejected last year and an appeal to Scottish Ministers failed.
The revised plans dropped proposals for additional roof lights but still called for the widened patio doors.
In a statement to the committee, the applicant who was applying for Listed Building Consent to make the changes, said: “The proposal relates to an existing opening and is intended to improve practical and inclusive access.
“It has been designed to be sympathetic to the listed building through the use of traditional materials and detailing, including timber doors, a sandstone lintel, and reuse of the existing stone jambs.
“While alternative access may appear possible in theory, the internal layout makes this constrained and impractical in day-to-day use. I would respectfully ask the committee to consider the proposal as a modest and proportionate alteration.”
Councillor Donna Collins, who called the application in for for elected members to decide, said after listening to both sides she could not support the change and urged the residents to seek alternative help to address issues with access.
She said: “It is difficult because I am all for modifying buildings to help with disabilities and mobility and changes in people’s situations over time but on this one I think it is a wee bit different, because if we start changing this it is going to look completely out of character with the building.
“I think it might be better for the applicant to get some sort of OT (occupational therapy) assessment which could give them advice on how to maybe put a ramp in but not significantly modify the door.”
Planning convenor Norman Hampshire also sided with planners saying the changes would be a step too far for the building.
He said: “When you buy a historic building to live in, there are some restrictions that you cannot do to your building and you have to accept that.
“You are only in that building for the time you are living here, that building will go on for years and years to come and we will still be able to remember that it used to be a working farm.
“I think the people there who have those properties are really lucky and I think we should preserve it.”
The committee unanimously agreed to refuse permission for the changes.
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