'Grand Designs experiment’ on North Berwick High Street refused

Architect Robin Sutherland came up with the Passivhaus build for his family after they bought property at 82 High Street, North Berwick.

With the front of the property refurbished into a new shop front with offices for the architect upstairs (see black building, pictured), he turned his attention to designing a family home on the strip of land behind it, which measures 28.6 metres long and 4.2 metres wide.

Plans showed the ground floor having a bathroom and study/bedroom, with parking bays at the front and a courtyard garden at the rear; a bedroom, kitchen/diner and outside roof terrace on the first floor; and, on the second floor, a living room and bedroom.

However, despite his design being described by one councillor as “extraordinary”, his vision for his new home clashed with neighbours, the community council and ward councillors, who claimed it went against the area’s conservation status.

And despite planning officers ruling that the proposed house met its policies, the planning committee refused planning permission by six votes to five.

Mr Sutherland’s proposed home would have had room widths of 3.5 metres.

The outline of the land on which architect Robin Sutherland planned to build his new home at the rear of 82 High Street, North Berwick. The High Street is at the bottom of the marked area, Forth Street at the top

In his design statement to planners, he said: “The site is very narrow, with a width of approximately 4.2 metres; however, an internal room width of 3.5m is achievable, which is comfortably within the bounds of normally scaled domestic space.”

But Councillor Jane Henderson, ward member, told the committee that the width of the home would be “not much wider than a shipping container, my goodness gracious”.

She said: “I am not convinced this is the best place for a Grand Designs experiment”, adding: “Just because theoretically it can be done does not make it right.”

Grand Designs is a popular and long-running home improvements TV show where unique and daringly designed homes are built.

Neighbours overlooking the proposed house had objections about the impact of the three-storey home on their privacy, in particular a proposed roof terrace. And they raised concerns about the use of zinc cladding on the walls and roo.

Mr Sutherland highlighted other properties in North Berwick which had zinc cladding; Councillor Jim Goodfellow, ward member, described the proposed new house as a “zinc house”.

North Berwick Community Council also lodged objections, citing the impact of the zinc materials on the conservation area and on neighbours’ privacy and  amenity.

Councillor Norman Hampshire, planning convenor, backed the proposals, highlighting that planning officers had ruled the design met the council’s relevant planning policies.

He said the house was something which would, in time, be viewed as an “attractive addition” to the town’s conservation area.

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However, Councillor Willie Innes, council leader, pointed to the strength of concerns from the community and said that while he appreciated the “extraordinary way” the architect had created the design for the house, it was in the wrong location.

He said: “I accept what local members are saying. I think the overall impact would be too significant.”

The committee voted by six members to five to refuse planning permission.

Mr Sutherland declined to comment following the decision.