Neighbours fear Tranent house could be rented out as flats

A homeowner’s bid to make room so his family can visit was thrown out over ‘speculation’ by neighbours that he was planning to rent out his house, it has been claimed.
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Mujahid Nazir’s plans to extend his house in Tranent sparked objections from neighbours and was rejected by East Lothian Councillors after it was claimed it could potentially turn a family home into a house of multiple occupancy (HMO).

But in a statement to Scottish Ministers Mr Nazir says the plans to turn the three-bedroom house into a six bedroom home was so his family could visit.

The house at the centre of the planning wrangleThe house at the centre of the planning wrangle
The house at the centre of the planning wrangle
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He said: “Actual reason to extend my house is that I have three sisters and one brother who all live in England and each family have 5‐6 members so when they visit we don’t have space to accommodate them and for this reason they hesitate to visit us. “

And he said any concerns about the house being turned into an HMO were “speculations and not facts”.

At a meeting of the council’s planning committee in March planning permission for the extension was rejected after neighbours spoke about their concerns.

The committee unanimously voted to refuse planning permission for the extension ruling it was overdevelopment, despite planning officers recommending it for approval.

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Mr Nazir has now appealed to Scottish Ministers to overturn the decision.

He said: “Our applications was prepared as per council guidelines and was recommended for approval from planning officer,

“There are many examples in the area for similar extensions being approved and reasons for refusal of my application are all speculations and not facts.”

The appeal is ongoing.

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