Chiropractor fights home clinic ban
A concerned Scottish Borders village chiropractor is to appeal a planning decision which places his livelihood in jeopardy.
Alistair Leaver was refused a certificate to work from his home after concerns were raised at the extent of “comings and goings” at the property.
Scottish Borders Council rejected an application for a certificate of lawfulness from Mr Leaver, of Trust Chiropractic at Valley View in Clovenfords.
The small-scale practice has operated from an outbuilding at the property since April, 2023.
The business serves approximately 40 client visits across an 18 hour week, a SBC report stated.
An enforcement case was launched by the council following a complaint regarding the level of activity at the property made by a local resident over increased traffic congestion around the area.
Mr Leaver said: “I love working from my clinic, it’s a beautiful space. It allows me to look after my kids at the same time as work, and to be there if they need me for anything.
“I’ve spoken with many other neighbours and most of them say they don’t even notice when I’m working and that it never bothers them.
“Basically you have got ten cars a day over four days, and I’ve got space in the driveway and some people park in my driveway and some people park in the street away from other houses.
“I think it is just a case of the guy who reported it had been here for 20 years and always had a straight run-up to his house, so no cars ever parked on that road and all of a sudden you’ve got a couple of extra cars in the way.
“Initially there were issues where people would park in front of his driveway on the opposite side of the road and so it definitely caused some concerns and when I addressed it with him I made a bunch of changes.
“I knocked down a fence on my driveway to create more parking space. I put signs up asking people not to park in front of my neighbour’s driveway.
“I did as much as I could to alleviate the problem.”
Mr Leaver said people had been supportive of his situation, with even the local postie offering his backing.
He added: “My folks are doctors and I always wanted to do something that would help people and this not only provides the ability to provide for my family there are also a bunch of people, if I’m not working, depending on where I might have to move, they might not be able to drive much further to wherever I am.”
As the appeal goes through to the Government’s Planning and Environmental Appeals Division Mr Leaver is able to carry on working from home for the next three months.
The original report, from SBC’s lead planning officer Carlos Clarke, stated: “Up to 40 clients per week would means up to 80 comings and goings.
“I understand, also from the enforcement case, that each appointment lasts 15 minutes.
“While these visits may be staggered, may not all involve car-borne traffic, and may involve local clients, this level of activity is, nonetheless, significant in the context of a domestic setting.
“Based on the information available to me, the use of the outbuilding as the chiropractic business to which this application relates has not been sufficiently demonstrated, on the balance of probability, to operate on a basis ancillary or incidental to the normal domestic use of the dwelling house.”