East Lothian couple's renovation 'nightmare' after spending £500K to transform bank

Edinburgh Live

a day ago

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A couple who spent more than £550K on a former bank to turn it into their dream home have never moved in - due to years of planning restrictions.
Pat Sharp and husband Nigel bought the empty Royal Bank of Scotland building in Westgate, North Berwick, seven years ago - with plans to live out their retirement there. But their plans turned into a race against time as they realised their current small flat above a Victorian house in the town would prove inaccessible to Nigel, who had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
Realising Nigel would one day be unable to climb the stairs to their Victorian flat, the couple jumped at the chance to buy the old RBS building - even though it was on sale without planning permission to turn it into a residential property. They paid more than double the £250,000 asking price in order to outbid other parties - but have so far never been able to move in.
The council have insisted it was a commercial building which is needed in the busy town centre - despite the couple unearthing an old photo proving it was once a home. Their seven-year struggle with East Lothian Council also means the opportunity to spend their granddaughters' early years in the proposed new home, close to the beach, was lost.
The two girls, aged two and three, had recently lost their mother to cancer, and one of her last wishes was that her own mother, Pat, recreate the seaside family holidays she had enjoyed as a child.
"I could turn the bank into a future proof home with a lift and easy wheelchair access, and making it a fun place for the girls to visit," said Pat.
"Twelve other people wanted it too, most of them aiming to turn it into a house. However I was the top offer at £555,555. The offers over price was obviously to attract attention and was no way realistic."
(Image: Katielee Arrowsmith / SWNS)
After hours of research the couple's architect, Andrew Megginson, found an old photo from before the RBS took over. It showed that the Victorian property, formerly known as Park House, boasted a garden and large conservatory and there had been a carriage house and garages accessed through the double gates.
"This makes it clear that what we now own was historically more than half residential," said Pat.
"RBS retained the drawing room, and sold the remaining house to the bank manager, where his daughter and family lived. It is in the middle of period properties, well set back - even further than its neighbours."
At their first appeal for planning permission, Pat says one councillor loved their plans for a house - plans which she insists would "echo the Victorian architectural heritage of North Berwick".
"One of the three councillors loved our plans for a beautiful quality house," she said.
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"The other two said it was a pastiche, and a modern house was required - not my choice but Andrew designed one. Again, to our astonishment, they knocked it back. Then they changed their view to 'North Berwick needs offices' and now this has continued for years."
During their battles, Nigel's condition deteriorated and he has since moved into a residential care home, meaning the couple are unable to ever move in together. At one stage in their seven years of struggle the council granted planning permission for a cafe and two offices, but this attracted little interest.
"A modern office block at the end of a graceful terrace of Victorian villas?' asked Pat.
"After more than 83 viewings we have demonstrated completely there is no appetite whatsoever for any commercial enterprise there - even less so with the new parking laws about to be inflicted on North Berwick.
She is desperate for a solution, and shocked at the lack of support and information offered by the council.
(Image: Katielee Arrowsmith / SWNS)
"We have repeatedly asked the council for a meeting to find a way to progress, which is our right," she said.
"We have always been respectful and polite in all our dealings with planners and councillors, despite long periods of being stonewalled by everyone. Nobody is offering us an opportunity to meet up and try to progress our case in a helpful way."
A final appeal meeting was set to be held by East Lothian Council's Planning Department on 19 June, but after one interested party was not informed of the meeting, the date has now been pushed back two months.
"The Council's recent postponement at the 11th hour of our local review does not surprise us,' said Pat.
"It's been put off for two months while they scramble to dream up some new plan to again reject our application. However we have engaged a chartered surveyor from an old established Edinburgh Company to give his expert opinion on valuation etc.
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"The DV appointed by the council gave very low figures our expert and those of a respected estate agent in North Berwick were substantially higher. None of the latest objections appear to address or care about the architectural Victorian heritage of North Berwick.
"If we at last get our planning permission I regard it as a win for beautiful North Berwick. We're just passing through. Let our legacy be one of carefully conserving what we've inherited. Not building more carbuncles."
A spokesperson for East Lothian Council said: "One of the interested parties was accidentally omitted from our notification process so was not informed of the appeal in time for it to be heard at the Local Review Body meeting on Thursday 19 June.
"It will be heard at the next available meeting in August. The applicant's agent, interested parties and consultees have all been contacted."