East Lothian restaurant bids to turn private garden into outdoor eating area

A bid to turn a private garden into a restaurant's outdoor eating area has been backed by East Lothian Council's planners despite local objections.

The owner of The Main Course, Gullane, has applied for a change of use of the domestic garden which belongs to the flat above their business, to an outdoor seating area for the restaurant.

Applicant Luciano Crolla owns both the flat and the restaurant business, and has lodged a retrospective application for the change of use for the area which first operated as a part of the business two years ago.

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In the application Mr Crolla says he understood planning permission for the use had been granted when the restaurant was given the go ahead.

The use of the garden as part of the business first came to light after a large marquee was put up in the garden sparking local complaints.

Mr Crolla applied to the council for a certificate of lawfulness for the use of the garden as part of the eaterie but was refused and an appeal to Scottish Ministers failed to overturn the decision.

Now a year after the appeal was thrown out Mr Crolla has applied for a change of use of the garden.

The application will go before a virtual meeting of East Lothian Council's planning committee tomorrow.

It was called in by local councillor Jeremy Findlay after planning officers recommended granting consent despite local objections,

A report on the application revealed 20 local objections had been lodged complaining about the impact of noise, lights and smells from the outdoor area on surrounding private gardens.

Gullane Area Community Council also raised concerns over the potential impact of noise and odour nuisance on neighbours.

Councillor Findlay called in the application "To allow the committee to decide whether an increase in noise levels and neighbour disturbance is
acceptable in a residential and conservation area."

In their report planning officers recommended approving the change of use on a one-year temporary basis with condition which would restrict the hours of use and use of lighting which could impact on neighbours.