Councillors have approved plans for a roof terrace on a historic beach house despite a plea from the great grandson of its original owners to stop the change.
Blair Dickson, who owns the lower half of the house, known as Seafield, which looks out onto North Berwick's West Beach, told a meeting of East Lothian Council's planning committee it was built by his great grandparents in 1897.
And he appealed to them not to allow the owners of the upper floors, Paul and Julie Harrison, to replace two dormer windows in the top of the three-story house with an L-shaped box dormer and balcony.
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Speaking at a meeting of the council's planning committee on Tuesday, Mr Dickson said his great grandparent ran a fruit and veg shop on Forth Street in the town and built the house on the vegetable patch they used to stock the store.
He said in the 1960s a great aunt and uncle sub divided it into two flats adding: "I've been visiting and staying at Seafield for nearly 60 years."
Mr Dickson objected to the proposals to add a modern box dormer to the roof of the house saying it would damage its character.
He said: "We have concerns about changing the external character of this house. This aspect of Seafield has looked the same for 126 years and is a prominent feature in many paintings, photographs and drawings of North Berwick.
"Seafield was designed to be viewed from the beach and consequently the beach side is the front facade of the house with the original door and should be protected in the same way the streetscape is."
Local ward councillor Carol McFarlane called the application before elected members for a decision after noting two objections to the plans had been made by 'non permanent' residents.
Mr Dickson acknowledged that the ground floor flat was currently used as a holiday let but said he had the intention, as his parents had before him, to retire to the property when the time came.
The agent for the applicants pointed to previous planning permissions which were granted for neighbouring houses to add similar extensions creating a mixture of rooftops along the skyline viewed from the beach.
He argued that the modern extension proposed would in fact be 'in character' with other properties in the area insisting it would improve the look of the building.
And Councillor McFarlane agreed telling the committee: "In my view the applicants' proposals will enhance the conservation area.
"This is an investment in a family home in an area which has come to be dominated by holiday homes and Airbnbs .
"It is a modern design and will be superior to the other extensions on neighbouring buildings. Given this and the absence of local objections I believe the application should be approved."
The committee agreed by10 votes to 2 to reject officers recommendations and grant permission for the roof extension.
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