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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Stuart Sommerville

West Lothian plan to convert 'party venue' pumphouse into a home rejected

Plans to convert a pumphouse at a former water treatment works into a home have been rejected by the Local Review Body of West Lothian Council.

Roy Gilmour and Helen Wardrop had appealed against a refusal of their plans to renovate a redundant pumphouse building to create a one bedroom home near the River Almond at Seafield.

They had applied for permission to develop storage sheds and kennels on the site which sits in fields which border the river between homes on Almond View in the village, near Bathgate.

READ MORE: Fight to save West Lothian arts venue as thousands sign petition against proposed closure

In their plea to the Local Review Body they said the brownfield site “deserved a second chance”.

It has been subjected to vandalism, and used as a “party” venue for locals. In their initial plea the building was described as wind and watertight but the simple single storey building has been damaged by fire, with the roof partially destroyed.

The couple had produced plans showing a one bedroom conversion of the brick built single story pumphouse. They claimed joint access along farm tracks.

Additionally, they told the committee, they had planted fruit and veg on the site of the former pumping station and were hoping to develop an eco-friendly home on the site.

The site is a third of a mile from the homes in Seafield but the proposal attracted 33 objections from villagers who had complained about the noise of dogs from the site as well as the installation of a caravan.

Councillors on the committee visited the site on Wednesday morning. Later in committee planning officer Sarah Collings spent 20 minutes taking councillors through the 102 pages of papers relating to the appeal.

These included written objections. legal advice as well as the relevant sections of the recently introduced National Planning Framework introduced in February. An initial hearing on the plan had been delayed for a month because of the introduction of the new planning rules.

Core to planning objections however was the development of a new home in the countryside, outwith the settlement boundary of Seafield.

In the papers planners said: “The proposed development does not meet the criteria for permitting new housing development in the countryside… thus would constitute unjustified development… to the detriment of the rural character and amenity of the area.”

Planners added that the garden ground - essentially the former site of the pumping station - would mean the plot ratio of garden ground to footprint of the dwelling “excessive”.

Councillors had no questions or comments after hearing the review and supported a motion by committee chair, councillor Danny Logue to reject the appeal.

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