Tuesday November 25th 2025
Carter Bar, Scottish Borders
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
A second bid for a ‘coffee stop’ at Carter Bar has fallen flat with Scottish Borders Council planners.
Back in April this year the council’s Local Review Body narrowly rejected an application from Paul Anderson of Jedburgh-based Wooplaw Farm Limited for provision of container and trailer coffee outlets on either side of the A68 Trunk Road at the Carter Bar lay-bys.
Now a second application for a single coffee outlet has also hit the buffers with planners after it too was refused.
It was deemed the proposal would be detrimental to traders in Jedburgh and have an adverse impact on the “vitality and viability” of the town centre.
A converted shipping container was to have been located in woodland on the west layby, with hard-standing picnic tables, a composting toilet and bins.
A report with the application stated: “The area would remain wooded close to the Border line so that the container is nestled into the trees, so the whole area demarcated would not be cleared of trees.
“Container Cafés are the most popular shipping container conversions conducted by a specialist team for use as a food and drinks serving unit.
“More importantly however, Wooplaw Farm developing a coffee stop on the Scotland and England border will support the farm operation, provide employment opportunities in the area, and a space for other local businesses to sell their produce.”
In his report refusing the application, Euan Calvert, SBC assistant planning officer, states: “A business plan has been submitted to demonstrate a proposal for tourism.
“The plan proposes that tourist numbers could total between 42 and 125 during the weekdays and between 83 and 167 on the weekend.
“The business plan uses figures derived from road traffic counts. The proposal is for food and hot drinks to be sold.
“The supporting statement cites this as being an impressive first experience of Scotland, which will double as a tourist information point for Jedburgh businesses and beyond.
“There are two issues identified with the business plan. There is no evidence presented of the applicant having ever been involved in running a tourist business.
“Secondly, the business plan does not account for seasonality of tourists. The consequence accepting this proposal may be an unviable business being established in an isolated and inappropriate location.
“It is maintained that provision of further visitor facilities at the Carter Bar is liable to have a significant adverse effect on the vitality and viability of the town centre and those businesses south of the Border.
“Snack bars are temporary development, which are best located in the trunk road boundary and managed by the Trunk Road Authority, who could then control the scale of development and the corresponding impacts in terms of waste, litter and road safety.
“Even at this reduced scale, it is considered that the permanence of development would be detrimental to the vitality and viability of neighbouring centres.
“The proposals represent a development which would cater predominantly to tourism visitors who are entering the country.
“This is a proposal for economic diversification of Wooplaw Farm. However, it is considered that the introduction of facilities in this location would compete with those businesses within the settlement boundary of Jedburgh, contrary to national and local town centre polices..
“This has previously been rehearsed in the earlier application. Visitor facilities and services are available in Jedburgh where the economic benefits (in the form of secondary spend by tourists) may be harnessed by local traders.”
Southdean Community Council acknowledged the goals of farm diversification within the application but members were unable to fully support the proposals and raised concerns for road safety, staff safety, power generation, water supply, toilet provision, rubbish, hours of operation and staffing.
The original application had also raised a number of objections, including one from the provider of the existing Reiver’s View coffee stop in the area.
Concerns were also raised over the bid being detrimental to retailers in Jedburgh town centre, being incongruous to its surroundings, with the presence of a gas pipeline at the lay-by raising health and safety concerns.
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