A JEWELLERY studio owner who claimed that allowing a neighbouring flat to operate as a holiday let could put her business at risk was accused of "discrimination" by the property's owner.

Clare Blatherwick told a meeting of East Lothian Council’s licensing sub-committee today (Thursday) that she felt a lot of “discomfort” about a string of unknown guests staying in the North Berwick flat, which has a shared courtyard.

But while she appealed to councillors to reject the application by flat owner Gavin Cave for a licence to operate the short-term holiday let, Mr Cave said that she had no legitimate grounds.

And he told the meeting that it was "discrimination" to suggest his type of guests were more likely to be involved in crime.

He said: “It is a discriminatory assumption against short-term tenants that they are more likely to commit crimes.

“In fact, if the flat could not be let, it would be empty for long periods of time, leaving it unused with no lights on.”

Ms Blatherwick told the committee that she did not intend to discriminate but had taken on the shop, formerly Morin Harper Hairdressing, in the belief that the flat was a long term residential home.

She said: “Unfortunately, many people in my industry have had unpleasant experiences and we are extremely cautious about where we are and our movements.

“It is much more comfortable as a jeweller to know our neighbours, it is not meant to be discriminatory.”

The committee heard that the holiday flat, on Station Hill, shared a courtyard with other properties, including the new jewellery business, which opens next month.

READ MORE: New jewellery studio gets ready to open in North Berwick

Mr Cave told the committee: “This is a situation that is not uncommon across Scotland with tenement buildings like this. It is not grounds to refuse a licence for the holiday let.”

The flat owner also told the committee that no holiday guest would be able to access the courtyard during their stays and a local management company would oversee it.

Prior to the meeting, large parts of the publicly available submissions from both the applicant and the objector, including photographs of the buildings involved, were redacted by council officers.

The committee unanimously supported the short-term holiday let licence.