East Lothian Courier | News | Protest at hotel plans

Thursday, 20th November, 2008

Published: Thursday, 14th August, 2008 08:10

Protest at hotel plans

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PROTESTERS at the site of the proposed hotel extention. Left to right: Ann and Raymond Coventry and Gillian McGrath.

RESIDENTS are up in arms over plans to enlarge a town centre hotel at the expense of valuable parking spaces.

Local businessman Stirling Stewart wants to increase accommodation capacity at the Harbour House Hotel, Quality Street, which backs onto the Imperial car park.

The proposed free-standing building will comprise two self-contained units at ground level with five en-suite rooms above.

Neighbours officially notified of the plans claim that the project will result in five of the parking spaces allocated to the hotel being lost, and intensify the battle for overnight parking places.

Gillian McGrath was one of four Melbourne Place residents who voiced opposition to the plans at the August meeting of North Berwick Community Council.

She said: “There are seven spaces there allocated to the Harbour House Hotel.

“If the plans are approved, five of those spaces will be lost and the hotel guests will have to park in the main public car park. This will, in turn, take away more precious parking space used by local residents.

“It is impossible to park your car there during the day from April to October due to tourists, and it is becoming a lottery to find an overnight space.

Coaches are parking there overnight and adding to the problem.

“It has got to the stage where if you even just nip up to Tesco in the evening, you cannot get back in.

“It’s horrific.”

Community council secretary, Kathryn Smith, pointed out that the plans had not yet been registered with the council. The community council was therefore not authorised to comment.

East Lothian Council leader and local ward member, Councillor David Berry, said: “The law is quite clear. A planning applicant must notify people in adjoining properties, but not necessarily those people who overlook the site. When the plans are registered there will be a window for public comment.”

Mr Stewart, whose business interests also include the town’s Nether Abbey Hotel, could not be reached for comment.

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