Tuesday September 9th 2025
Goose Green, Gullane
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Marie Sharp
A bid to replace a cottage in a conservation village has been rejected amid concerns it could be used as a holiday home.
The plans to demolish a house on Goose Green, Road, Gullane, and replace it with a new single storey cottage with a roof terrace, were refused by planners despite being almost identical to a similar proposal approved seven years ago.
A report due to go before East Lothian Council’s Local Review Body next month reveals the new house plans are less than a metre higher than the previously approved plans for the site.
However it says the change to the design means it will now be higher than surrounding cottages and block out sunlight from a couple of the homes as well.
And it reveals 25 objections were lodged over the proposed new house, with concerns about the impact on neighbouring homes and what would happen if it was used as a short term let in the future.
Gullane Community Council also raised concern about its use and said the new design was ‘significantly larger’ than the house approved in 2018.
However planners said the short term let potential of the property was not relevant to the planning application submitted.
The report says: “In relation to the alleged proposal to use the proposed house as short-term holiday let accommodation, this concern has been passed onto the applicant who confirmed in writing that the property would be let out, if approved however, this would be on a long term let as opposed to being used as a short-term let.”
Planners refused permission for the new house saying it would not integrate sympathetically’ with its setting and would be ‘overly dominant and intrusive’.
They added it would also cause a harmful loss of daylight to neighbouring properties.
However agents for the applicants have challenged claims the higher design impacts on the light on neighbouring cottages as a “gross exaggeration” and say the changes from the original application which was approve actually benefit the site.
They say: “We would argue that the more modern approach of the two applications results in a more attractive and interesting feature that adds to the character of the Goose Green and wider conservation area, hinting at life and activity taking place beyond the property frontage.”
The appeal will be heard by the review body next month.
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