Edinburgh beauty therapist wants Scottish government to rule on her 'pamper pod'

A beauty therapist is battling council chiefs to keep her business going through the coronavirus pandemic – and is now appealing to the Scottish Government to intervene.
Glam: Owner just wants to be able to operate her businessGlam: Owner just wants to be able to operate her business
Glam: Owner just wants to be able to operate her business

After mobile beauticians were banned from operating due to coronavirus restrictions, the owner of Glam Mobile Beauty,

Fiona MacDonald, built a standalone pod in her garden at 612 Lanark Road, Juniper Green, before applying to Edinburgh City Council for permission to run her business from there.However, in September, council planning officers rejected her application for a certificate of lawful use, saying the application would constitute ‘a material change of use’ from a residential to a business premises.

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Ms MacDonald says the decision has left her fearful for her livelihood: “I already have permission for the pod itself, but what happened was I contacted the council and asked if I should get permission to run the business from there,” she said.

“I thought to myself I want to do this right, as I’ve spent tens of thousands of pounds on this, and want to make sure everything is done properly. I’m expecting only four to five visitors a day, no more than would visit normally.

“I was a mobile beauty therapist, but we’re not allowed to work in that manner due to coronavirus, so basically I’m out of a job. I can either sign on or find a way to keep working, and this is it for me.”

Now, Ms MacDonald has taken her fight to the Scottish Government’s Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA), where government officials, acting on behalf of ministers, will deliberate on the proposals.

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Ms MacDonald’s appeal statement, which she drafted herself as she says she cannot afford to pay thousands of pounds in consultancy fees, reads: “The premises at 612 Lanark Road remains firstly a domestic dwelling and business use second.

“This does not result in a material change of use.

“The use of the pod will be primarily for domestic residential purposes and secondly for occasional business use.

“Again I would like to reiterate that I have no intention of changing the primary purpose of my house and grounds at 612 to be anything other than a family dwelling as the principal use.

“Furthermore it is imperative to state that due to the recent Covid-19 restrictions my business is no longer allowed to operate as a mobile service.

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“Therefore I have had to adapt, like many others, in this very uncertain climate, to be able to continue best we can.

“Once restrictions lift I propose to re-establish the business on a mobile basis as I have worked very hard over 15 years to achieve this.”

Council planners are yet to lodge a response to Ms MacDonal’s appeal with the Scottish Government, but DPEA officers have been set a target of January 2021 to issue a ruling.

Ms MacDonald added: “I’m right on the main road, right where there’s a pharmacy, takeaways, and beauty salons.

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“Lots of former mobile beauty therapists are working from home right now, I wish I hadn’t bothered to get permission, the council would have been none the wiser.

Joseph Anderson , Local Democracy Reporting Service

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