PLANS to demolish a house on the Rosneath peninsula and replace it with a gym made from shipping containers and a sauna have been approved.
Kathrin Hamilton’s proposal for the Doocot, on Shore Road in Cove, has received planning permission from Argyll and Bute Council despite three objections from the public.
The impact of shipping containers on the character of the conservation area, and use of the gym and sauna, were among the concerns raised by residents.
However, a council planning officer said the proposal was acceptable. The gym and sauna will only be used by family members.
The officer said in a handling report: “It is proposed to replace the existing dilapidated dwelling with two shipping containers (joined lengthways) and a separate small timber building.
“The shipping containers will house a private gym area and a WC/shower room, the footprint of this will be approximately 30sqm with a roof height of 2.8m.
“The timber building will house a sauna, the footprint of this will be approximately 6sqm with a roof height of 2.8m.
“The existing structure on site which is to be removed is in a serious state of disrepair and is presently considered to create a negative impact on the character of the surrounding conservation area.
“In terms of the new structures, the private gym and sauna comprising of two black metal clad joined shipping containers and a timber sauna building, it is considered the proposal complies with the aforementioned policies, as the existing surrounding built development varies in terms of age/style and scales of development, so the proposed shipping containers and timber structure would be not be out of place with the surrounding built development.”
The report added that the proposed gym and sauna will be used exclusively by the applicant and her husband on an intermittent basis.
However, council officers said that a planning condition was recommended “to restrict the use of the proposed development to further safeguard the residential amenity”.
