Bid for holiday lets beside Peebles industrial estate are ditched

The application for the holiday accommodation, a bicycle store and four car parking spaces at 2 Ballantyne Place on the Dovecot Road Industrial Estate came from Robert Slight of Musselburgh.

But the bid raised the hackles of residents, the town's community council and Peebles Civic Society who raised objections on the grounds of a lack of parking space, increased traffic, poor design and loss of light.

Objector Fiona Cockburn said: "This area is very, very busy, and parking is such a big problem. The parking spaces in front of the building are for everyone to use, so therefore how can the developers reserve these four places for two holiday flats.

"The entrance to the industrial estate is very congested as cars park on the main road and the junction is becoming a bit of a blind spot. Large lorries, transit vans, motor homes and cars all use the industrial estate, so it's hardly suitable for holiday flats. This is over-development!"

Peter Maudsley, planning convener with the community council, said: "One must ask why two small flats with tiny double bedrooms would require four tied parking spaces.

"Perhaps the developer considers that these may become 'party' flats and be hired out as such. There is significant news coverage of problems with such flats the length and breadth of the country."