Wealthy businessman’s bid to rent mansion dubbed a ‘party house’

Michael Cameron, who owns the Dominion Cinema in Morningside, has been embroiled in a string of planning battles over the use of his Green Loaning mansion in West Linton.

The property boasts a gym, hot-tub, cinema room and games room with up to 30 people per night accommodated at the nine-bedroomed home.

But the venue raised the hackles of some neighbours, unhappy at noise levels coming from the property.

This led in 2018 to Scottish Borders Council banning Mr Cameron from renting the property out, a ruling later upheld by both a Scottish Government reporter and by judges at a Court of Session.

Another appeal to rent out the property for 20 weeks a year was also refused after frustrated neighbours wrote to the government opposing it.

One neighbour said: “This has been drawn out for years with appeal after appeal after appeal. It’s time to stop this party house and the negative impact it has on neighbours.”

Rejecting that latest move, Government reporter Paul Cackette said it would “have a significantly adverse effect on the area”.

Now a new application for a ‘certificate of lawfulness’ has been submitted to the council’s planning department for the property’s use as a short-stay commercial visitor accommodation.

The bid is for no more than six bedrooms to be used by guests, with no more than 12 guests. The use would also not exceed 24 days in a calendar year and there would be a minimum stay for guests of two days.

A report submitted on Mr Cameron’s behalf by Edinburgh-based Andrew Strathern says: “The applicant in this application seeks a usage which is significantly below that considered in the appeal.”