Wednesday November 19th 2025
Borthwick Scout Campsite, near Borthwick Castle
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Marie Sharp
Councillors have rejected plans to build houses in ‘beautiful’ countryside next to a field used for scout camps.
Plans for two new three bedroom houses on land on the edge of the hamlet of Borthwick, in Midlothian, would have seen a disused scout hut demolished to make way for them.
However a meeting of Midlothian Council’s planning committee this week heard the field next to it was still used as a campsite for scouts and planners said they had received nearly 50 objections to the proposals.
They also received 10 letters of support but officers recommended elected members reject the application saying it was not a ‘sustainable development’.
They said claims by the applicant that the site was not remote and near Gorebridge and would not be ‘car dependent’ were inaccurate with the new houses around 4km from the nearest town centre and 2.5km from the nearest bust stop adding: “it should be noted that this bus stop requires pedestrians to cross the A7”.
At the planning meeting councillors agreed with officers that the new development should be rejected.
Councillor Ellen Scott: “It is a very rural place and is very beautiful. It is also next to the scout camp and there will be hundreds of kids go there and it might interfere.”
And fellow committee member Councillor Bowen supported her call to refuse permission saying: “It is quite obvious it is a beautiful rural spot and quite unsuitable for houses like this.”
The applicants had argued that the presence of the disused scout hut on the land made it a ‘brownfield’ site which qualified it for housing, however planners dismissed the claim saying the land is “completely natural aside from a small building, which previously was used for a countryside activity”.
The application was unanimously rejected.
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