PLANS to demolish a house on Bute and replace it with a new holiday let property have been given the go-ahead by council officers.
Serena Bute’s application for planning permission at Port House, at Straad near Rothesay, was approved by Argyll and Bute Council, with no representations received from the public.
The proposal also included the upgrading of the existing access road, along with additional parking and turning space.
A council officer said in a handling report: “The application site overlooks the island of Inchmarnock and originally comprised a pair of semi-detached traditional cottages, which were converted and extended at the turn of the millennium to form a holiday home.
“It is surrounded by farmland on the landward side and is relatively exposed with the sea lying immediately to the west of the property. The surrounding countryside is open in nature with little or no trees or dense planting in the vicinity.
“It is not considered that the position of the proposed building relative to the two nearest dwellings would be such that the movement of vehicles and people in association with the holiday letting unit would have a detrimental effect on residential amenity.
“Any potential ‘antisocial behaviour’ causing nuisance or disturbance is a matter that can be addressed under other legislative controls that the council has at its disposal.”
The report added: “The site is served by an unnamed private road that proceeds in a southerly direction from the minor settlement of Straad. The area roads engineer has noted that this road is not sealed (although there is evidence of frequent maintenance, including hardcore piles and filled potholes), is narrow in places (less than three metres commonly), and contains passing places along the roadside (spaced less than 100 metres apart).
“While they have advised that additional development to be served off the road would likely be refused, the application is being treated as the redevelopment of an existing property with no intensification in vehicle usage.”
