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A well-established estate agency in and around Edinburgh is appealing after they were refused consent to convert their main street offices into a short-term holiday let by Midlothian planners.
McDougall McQueen, which has six offices in and around the Scottish capital, looks set to close its Gorebridge Main Street branch, located 12 miles south east of Edinburgh, after submitting a planning application to convert the office into residential use.
John MacIntyre, of McDougall McQueen, applied for a change of use for the company’s Gorebridge office in the conservation area.
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.
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 described how there is a high level of interest from businesses looking to operate from the area and a low vacancy rate for retail units locally.
“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 said.
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 state: “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 next week.
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