The Atlas Guest House at 30 London Street seeks full planning permission and listed building consent to remove a stone wall behind the premises, extend the driveway, increase the garden wall's height, and install new metal bi-fold driveway gates.
In brief, the owner wants to increase the size of – and ease-of-access to – a car park (Refs 20/02289/LBC and 20/02290/FUL) accessed from the back via Scotland Street Lane.
There is very little space for manoeuvring vehicles at this currently quiet spot, and restricted visibility for drivers reversing uphill along the unlit lane, particularly at night.
In a supporting statement, the owner asserts that he is merely proposing a return to the boundary wall’s position of 20 years ago.
‘I will not only be returning the wall line to its original location,’ he asserts. ‘I shall be providing a more suitable and safer turning facility to assist my access to and from the driveway, along with increasing the level of security to my property.’
Not all neighbours are convinced
So far there are 10 objections.
An anonymous flyer circulating in the area claims the proposal would, if approved, more than double the size of the car park (allowing an extra 6–7 vehicles).
It says the increase in traffic would endanger children at play, cause noise and light disturbance in a residential neighbourhood, and ‘eliminate an area of green landscape and replace it with hard paving’.
Spurtle notes impartially that a Scottish Government Reporter rejected a quite separate appeal in the area back in 2015 on the grounds that a proposed Class 2 use had 'the potential to generate regular visitors to the property which could result in increased noise, disturbance and parking pressure.
'"Only small increases in additional vehicles along the lane might also impede residential access and compromise public safety."’
The flyer further argues that these are ‘very poor proposals, unredeemed by a shred of benefit to the community at large, and are of value only to the owner, by enhacing his income’.
It says the plans are at odds with the ‘ethos’ of the Conservation Area and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
‘We may wish his hotel well,’ says the flyer, ‘but not by this plan.’
You can register your opinion for or against the proposal online HERE. Remember to quote both reference numbers. The deadline is 9 July.
