LONG-RUNNING plans to build holiday chalets on the fringe of the Pentland Hills have been rejected by the Scottish Government.
An appeal against West Lothian Council’s rejection of the proposals for the holiday park development has been dismissed by the Division of Planning and Environmental Appeals (DPEA).
A Holyrood appointed Reporter said that the 20 holiday lodges would "harm the character" and increase traffic on the narrow country roads around Kirknewton.
Bowker stated: “In conclusion, although localised in its effect, the proposal would nonetheless harm the character and appearance of the surrounding area.
“Whilst Kirknewton contains some shops, facilities, a core path network and a railway station, the connecting section of road has no pavement, is unlit, and involves a tight bend and the need to cross a railway track.
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"In addition, although bus stops are near the railway station in Kirknewton, I am not aware of any bus stops or services near or serving the site."
The applicant, Lucy Crombie, appealed to the DPEA after councillors on the development management committee rejected the proposal for a second time in June last year.
Crombie, from Edinburgh, wanted to build The Paddocks , a holiday "village" of 20 wooden chalets off Leyden Road just under a mile south of Kirknewton.
Bowker added that the "self-catering lodges" would attract further traffic.
He said: “It is likely that the majority of journeys to and from the site would be by private vehicle.
"In addition, noting the nature of the proposed development (self-catering lodges), future visitors would likely arrive by private vehicle and depend on its further use to access nearby services and facilities.
"This likelihood is reinforced by the absence of any identified tourist attractions that are reachable by non-private vehicle.”
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The area of borders Leyden Road, a narrow, winding rural road bounded by open farmland and woodlands which climbs from Kirknewton up to the main A70 “Lang Whang” road which skirts the Pentland Hills regional park.
Neighbours including the owner of Ormiston Castle, a Scots Baronial mansion, had objected to the development.
The holiday lodges were planned for a site on the eastern fringe of the castle’s 15 acre estate.
Lawyers for the owner of Ormiston Castle had urged the DMC to refuse to consider the plans in June because refusal would lead to an appeal, and potential success.
The planning application was first rejected in January 2024 and an appeal was later dismissed by the local review body who backed planners’ assertion that it constituted development in open countryside.
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One objector called for the council to refuse to decide on the second filing of the proposals in June last year, saying they had not changed since the council had already rejected the same plans.
The lawyer representing the owners of Ormiston Castle suggested the proposal may have come back to 'wear down' resistance.
Planning officers said the applicant had now supplied supplementary reports which validated councillors hearing the plans again.
The application last June attracted 22 objections including one from the local community council, and Juliet Bentley who lives in the B-listed Ormiston Castle.
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