Wednesday July 15th 2026
woodbine Cottage, Prestonpans, was the office for Scottish charity ELCAP
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Marie Sharp
The former offices of a Scottish charity are to be turned into a five bedroom house after they moved to new headquarters.
ELCAP, which provides support to people with disabilities, was based in Woodbine Cottage in Prestonpans before it moved to Musselburgh.
Now East Lothian planners have given the go ahead for the West Loan property be to turned back into a house with five bedrooms and three bathrooms included in the plans.
The two-storey Victorian villa is currently made up of four offices, a boardroom and staff facilities as well as having eight parking spaces.
A planning officers report said the proposed change of use to a house could be ‘sympathetic’.
They said: “The conversion of the existing building from an office use to a house would be a residential use within a predominantly residential area.
The existing building on the site is intact and in principle lends itself to a sympathetic conversion to form one house.
“There are no external alterations proposed to facilitate the change of use. Therefore, the proposed change of use would have no visible impact on the
character and appearance of the immediate area.”
No objections were lodged to the plans for the house and planners said it would not impact neighbouring homes.
They said: “As no new openings are proposed within the building, the change of use of the building to a house would not result in overlooking that would be any different to that already possible from the existing openings. Therefore, the proposed change of use of the building to a house would not harm the residential amenity of any neighbouring residential properties through overlooking.
“Due to the position and orientation of the building, any future residents of the proposed house would benefit from sufficient privacy and amenity. Furthermore, the residents would benefit from generously sized garden ground. ”
Planning permission was granted with a condition work starts within three years.
Tweet Share on Facebook
