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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Marie Sharp

East Lothian homeowner appeals after planners fail to return phone call on garden plans

Frustrated home owners have asked councillors to step in over plans to turn woodlands into a garden after accusing planners of failing to return their phone call.

The owners of The Clockhouse, at Carberry Courtyard in Whitecraig, East Lothian, applied for permission for a change of use to land, which has been used as a garden for nearly a decade behind their home.

They have also applied for retrospective permission for a patio and summerhouse.

In the original application for change of use the applicant said the woodland area had been used as a "small residential garden" since the house was bought in 2013.

The change of use application was lodged in September with East Lothian Council planners.

However, after planners failed to make a decision within two months of the application being validated applicant Julie McNairn, lodged an appeal with the council's Local Review Body telling them the lack of decision should be "deemed a refusal."

In her appeal she tells the body: "We are seeing a review as we have been given no feedback apart from 'waiting from landscape team.'

"I tried calling and left a message but have had no reply."

A council spokesperson confirmed the appeal was being made on the grounds of non-determination of the application by officers.

The council's Local Review Body is made up of elected councillors who hear appeals on planning applications, which are normally decided in the first place by officials rather than at the planning committee.

In the appeal over the garden application Mrs McNairn said she wants "a decision and a justification for that decision."

The Local Review Body will meet virtually to decide the appeal next Thursday, February 17.

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