Villagers rally in support of couple’s timber gates bid

The gates at Church House can stay after all.

Villagers have rallied in support of a local couple who faced removal of timber gates installed to provide privacy.

A Scottish Borders Council officer refused a retrospective planning application for the gates erected at Church House in Raemartin Square, West Linton, on the grounds they were of “poor visual quality” in a Conservation Area.

But it emerged at a meeting of the council’s Local Review Body this week that the officer was unaware of support for the application among locals.

In total there were 29 letters of support, with the the community council also backing it, as did a ward councillor, Tweeddale West ward’s Drummond Begg.

And members of the review body agreed to overturn the officer’s refusal.

At the review body meeting this week, Tweeddale East ward’s Councillor Marshall Douglas, said: “I don’t think this detracts too much from the look of the area at all and it is for privacy of the occupants of the house.”