Bid to turn Gorebridge office into short term let
An estate agent is appealing after they were refused permission to turn their main street offices into a short term holiday let by Midlothian planners.
John MacIntyre, of McDougall McQueen, applied for a change of use for the firm's Gorebridge office in the conservation area where it was argued there is a range of premises from retail, business and residential.
However Gorebridge Community Council objected to the plans saying they went against a priority action, identified in the council's Local Development Plan to revive the main street with shops and toilets.
They said: 'The long-term impact of the proposal should be considered and the application be refused to prioritise the preservation of commercial spaces for shops on the Main Street.'
Planning officers said that over the last four years around 150 businesses had contacted their economic team seeking commercial opportunities in Gorebridge where turnover of units was very low with only two vacancies in that time.
They said: 'This demonstrates a high level of interest from businesses looking to operate from the area and a low vacancy rate for units here. The proposal would result in the loss of a commercial unit in an area where there seems to be demand from businesses to operate.'
They added the choice of use as a short term let would have a negative impact on residents living above and below the property.
The applicant has now appealed to Midlothian Council's Local Review Body to overturn the decision from planners.
In their statement supporting the plans agents for the applicant say: 'The proposals seek to reuse an office which is under utilised and due to close.
'The proposals seek a change of use to a short term let and minor alternations to the exterior using high quality materials which will be sympathetic to the historic nature of the of the building.
'We believe there is no impact on the context or appearance of the building. The proposed use will reflect the mixed use nature of Main St and incorporate well.'
The appeal will go before the review body later this month.
By Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter
Like this:
Like
Related
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
2 days ago
- Powys County Times
Brecon Beacons holiday lets to become homes as rates soar
Holiday accommodation in a popular Powys visitor destination could be turned into affordable homes after Welsh Government policy saw its rates soar by £10,000 a year. An application by Mr and Mrs Hopkins would change the use of three holiday chalets and manager's accommodation off the A438 between Bronllys and Pont Ithel from short term holiday accommodation, into four permanent affordable dwellings. Of the four chalets three have two bedrooms and one has three bedrooms. Planning agent Samuel Organ of CO2 architects explained the proposal in a planning statement. Mr Organ said: 'The chalets at Beacons Edge have been let as short-term holiday accommodation for many years. 'However, recent changes to Welsh Government policy concerning the taxation of self-catering properties have significantly impacted the viability of such businesses. 'This application seeks a change of use from holiday accommodation to local needs housing." Mr Organ explains that an order came into force in 2023 stating that holiday properties must be available to be let for 252 days a year, and used for at least 182 days. Mr Organ said: 'To qualify for non-domestic rates, the chalets, despite active marketing, have only achieved a maximum of 156 letting days annually per unit, falling short of this threshold. 'As a result, the Valuation Office Agency removed the business from the non-domestic rating list on April 1, 2023, and the properties are now subject to domestic Council Tax. 'The annual Council Tax liability across the four units is now £10,433.88, a dramatic increase from the previous £372.99 a year in business rates, making the holiday letting model unviable.' Mr Organ continued: 'This application proposes to repurpose the chalets as permanent residential dwellings for local needs housing, thereby bringing them into productive and sustainable use.' While Beacons edge is outside a 'formally' defined settlement boundary Mr Organ stresses how close the site is to Bronllys and Pont Ithel. Mr Organ said: 'This makes the site an appropriate location for local needs housing, in line with both Powys LDP (Local Development Plan) policy and national guidance. 'The site's location near Talgarth, Bronllys, and Brecon all of which offer services, schools, and employment, this makes it ideally situated for households with a strong local connection. 'The applicant is willing to enter into a section 106 agreement to ensure these homes are retained for local needs.' This means that if the chalet become affordable homes they would be suited for 'young families, local workers and those wishing to downsize". Mr Organ said: 'The proposal represents a sustainable, low-impact solution that will deliver real community benefit and support rural vitality.' A decision on the application is expected by August 18.
Edinburgh Reporter
3 days ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
Midlothian Council to charge personal trainers and swimming instructors
Personal trainers and swimming instructors will have to pay hundreds of pounds a month to teach out of Midlothian Council sports centres from next month. Growing demand for gym use has led to the local authority looking into charging people offering private training sessions £450 a month to use their facilities. And swimming instructors who currently pay just a £5 adult entry to provide one on one lessons in the council's pools will now have to pay a £224 monthly charge. The new fees were agreed at a meeting of Midlothian councillors this week after they were told membership subscriptions for the council's Tonezone programme was at its highest ever number with 5,349 members at the end of March this year. Pay as you go gym lessons and attendance at swimming have also risen sharply in the last year with a rise of more than 11% in numbers for both leisure activities. A report by officers said: 'Since the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for personal trainers has surged significantly. In Midlothian, this growing demand has led to several personal training gyms opening in recent years, with GRN Box and Fitness Education Academy being notable examples. 'Competition has also intensified following the pandemic, with national chains like The Gym Group and David Lloyd expanding into Midlothian, both offering personal training services. Midlothian Council's Sport and Leisure Service does not currently offer personal training as a service.' It added: 'It is proposed that external personal trainers pay a £450 monthly fee for access to our gym facilities to conduct personal training sessions with their clients. 'If personal trainers charge £55 per session (based on average of lowest and highest benchmarked). five sessions per week would equate to £275 per week, equating to £1100 per month gross income.' On plans to charge swimming instructors the report notes that the council provides free swimming lessons for all primary four pupils and group sessions but it adds: 'There are currently seven external swimming instructors who deliver private lessons and also carry out an instructor role with sport and leisure. 'Instructors charge their clients between £10 to £20 per lesson. Currently, instructors are only required to pay for a standard Adult (£5.00) swim charge. Clients also pay for a standard swim on top of their lesson charge.' The proposals were approved by council without debate. By Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter Like this: Like Related
Edinburgh Live
4 days ago
- Edinburgh Live
Midlothian swimming teachers and personal trainers facing huge fees to use council centres
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Personal trainers and swimming instructors will have to pay hundreds of pounds a month to teach out of Midlothian Council sports centres from next month. Growing demand for gym use has led to the local authority looking into charging people offering private training sessions £450 a month to use their facilities. And swimming instructors who currently pay just a £5 adult entry to provide one on one lessons in the council's pools will now have to pay a £224 monthly charge. The new fees were agreed at a meeting of Midlothian councillors this week after they were told membership subscriptions for the council's Tonezone programme was at its highest ever number with 5,349 members at the end of March this year. Pay as you go gym lessons and attendance at swimming have also risen sharply in the last year with a rise of more than 11% in numbers for both leisure activities. A report by officers said: "Since the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for personal trainers has surged significantly. In Midlothian, this growing demand has led to several personal training gyms opening in recent years, with GRN Box and Fitness Education Academy being notable examples. "Competition has also intensified following the pandemic, with national chains like The Gym Group and David Lloyd expanding into Midlothian, both offering personal training services. Midlothian Council's Sport and Leisure Service does not currently offer personal training as a service." It added: "It is proposed that external personal trainers pay a £450 monthly fee for access to our gym facilities to conduct personal training sessions with their clients. "If personal trainers charge £55 per session (based on average of lowest and highest benchmarked). five sessions per week would equate to £275 per week, equating to £1100 per month gross income." On plans to charge swimming instructors the report notes that the council provides free swimming lessons for all primary four pupils and group sessions but it adds: "There are currently seven external swimming instructors who deliver private lessons and also carry out an instructor role with sport and leisure. "Instructors charge their clients between £10 to £20 per lesson. Currently, instructors are only required to pay for a standard Adult (£5.00) swim charge. Clients also pay for a standard swim on top of their lesson charge." The proposals were approved by council without debate.
