Owner of East Lothian Bronze Age garden cottage 'unaware' CCTV cameras needed approval
The owner of a listed building whose grounds date back to the Bronze Age did not realise they needed planning permission for a new security system, planners have been told.
Grainfoot, on Longniddry Main Street, in East Lothian, is a Category C Listed building, which dates back to pre 1854 according to historic records.
Its owner has had to apply for retrospective planning permission after installing CCTV cameras, floodlighting and repainting part of the walls.
In a statement to the council's planners, on behalf of the applicant Rachel Walker, it states she 'did not realise permission was required".
The property was the site of a Bronze Age discovery over thirty years ago when work to install a swimming pool in an outbuilding unearthed a stone grave containing human remains and pig bones.
The prehistoric cist contained the remains of the skeletons of a woman and a man and archaeologists said while there were not artefacts buried with them the bones of a left fore limb of a pig were found suggesting a pork joint was buried with them at the time.
Applying for Listed Building Consent for the new security system at the house, the application said: "The additional lighting will be a safety benefit to the main access door at night.
"Lighting is mostly of a classic design and is in keeping with the building. The exception is the small flood light on the gable wall though is is small and a discreet colour.
"Painting to timber walls is a colour in keeping with the age of the building. The painting of the masonry boundary wall is a sand stone colour and is similar to the existing stone.
"Though the CCTV cameras are white in colour they are position near white timber elements of the building so are as discrete as they can be. The CCTV camera to the back of the building is positioned at high level on the white masonry wall of the modern extension to the building.
"In conclusion the alterations do not have a negative impact on the building."
The application is available on the council planning portal to view.
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