The owners of an old rural farmworkers cottage have won the right to extend it after councillors ruled a new bigger home would improve its environmental footprint.
Planners had rejected a bid by owners Scott and Louise Fraser to extend their three-bedroom cottage at Ballencrieff Mains Farm, near Aberlady, in East Lothian, and create additional accommodation in a detached garage/workshop in its garden.
They said the new building would 'overwhelm' the original cottage and argued it was so different it amounted to a new build in the countryside, which is against council policy.
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But a meeting of the council's Local Review Body today saw elected members overturn the decision after visiting the site of the cottage themselves.
They said the new home would improve the site and dismissed planners concerns about its size.
Councillor Donna Collins, review body member, said: "I don't think it is going to stick out like a sore thumb. It is going to be quite complimentary to the area and they are going to improve the environmental footprint of this house."
Appealing against the refusal of planning permission the agent for the couple said: "Development here benefits the property, the appellant, the appellant’s extended family and harms no one.
"The council should seek to support proposals where the outcome results in the creation of a far superior and attractive property with no unacceptable impacts."
It was originally argued that the house was uninsulated and typical of cheap housing which had been built in the 1930s for farmworkers, with a large garden space to let the tenants grow their own food.
The new plans include an enlarged living space in the cottage and two bedrooms in the garage with an additional kitchen and bathroom.
No objections were lodged with East Lothian planners, a point councillors on the review body stressed as they unanimously supported the appeal.
Councillor Colin Yorkston said while he sympathised with planning officers, the increased footprint of the new accommodation was around 60% adding the original cottage "is not going to be completely swamped out" by the extension.
And fellow councillor Neil Gilbert said he did not believe the proposed house 'overwhelmed' the site adding: "I note there were no objections at all to this housing so I will support it."
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