COUNCILLORS are set to rule next week on a family's latest new bid to build homes on a paddock directly opposite a major new housing development, after previous plans were turned down because the site was considered to be in the countryside.

Carol Auld wants to build three houses for her and her daughters to live in on the land off Elphinstone Main Street.

And she argues that, while the paddock – which is used for sheep grazing – is described as being in the countryside by planners, the impact of the new housing estate on the other side of the road has been "dramatic".

In a statement to East Lothian Council planners, her agent says: “The context of the site has changed dramatically.

“It no longer has the character of a grass field/paddock just outside the village, but will be very much part of the western edge of Elphinstone providing visual (and stylistic) balance to the development on the north of the road into the village.”

READ MORE: Fresh bid for three homes opposite housing development in village

Bellway Homes is currently building about 100 new homes on land on the other side of the street from the paddock, which is next to The Stables.

Planning officers refused a previous application for the three houses because they said it was against countryside policy which did not allow new-build housing in the countryside unless there were exceptional circumstance.

And they are recommending that the current application be rejected for the same reason when it comes before the council’s planning committee on Tuesday.

In their report to councillors, officers say: “A supporting statement has been submitted with the application that states that ‘given the scale of development to the north redefining the shape and size of the Elphinstone settlement, the applicant wishes to create three new homes for her and her daughters on land they own immediately to the south of the Bellway development site and on land that would be within the new extent of Elphinstone'.”

However, they add: “The erection of three houses on the application site would be new-build housing development in the countryside of East Lothian on land which is not allocated for housing development.”

An artist's impression of the new houses proposed at Elphinstone. Image: East Lothian Council planning portal

The application had been due to be decided by planners but was called off the scheme of delegation list by ward councillor Lee-Anne Menzies so that councillors could rule on it instead.

On her reasons for calling the application before councillors, Ms Menzies said: "Refusal reasons one, two and four could equally apply to the adjacent site where 90-plus homes are planned and further development of an additional 100-plus homes is planned.

"While it is right and proper that officers would refuse under delegated powers, I believe that fairness and equity of access deems that councillors should decide the outcome of this application.

"This area was not on the LDP [Local Development Plan] but, as the LDP is now being replaced, that decision should (in my opinion) sit with the planning committee.

"To have a local resident and owner of the land refused, whilst a national developer is granted permission for a development that could be 60 times the size, seems, on first sight, to be unfair, and I believe the committee members should decide this outcome."