Thursday October 29th 2026
Maple House
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
“Confusing” plans to convert a private workshop in a Borders village into a commercial unit for rent have been refused.
The workshop at Maple House in Town Yetholm currently houses vehicle spares connected with classic cars, garden furniture and maintenance equipment.
An application was submitted to Scottish Borders Council for its partial change of use to mixed light commercial use, incorporating an artist’s studio and car storage, and for the erection of a summerhouse.
The bid was refused on the grounds it would “detract from the amenity of the surrounding area”.
There would be potential noise and privacy issues resulting in adverse impact on the amenity of the neighbouring residential area, planners determined.
The applicants, Norman and Jane Burr, appealed the refusal to a meeting of SBC’s Local Review Body at which members upheld the officers decision.
Councillor Marshall Douglas said: “The application is a little bit confusing. It goes from the change of use to commercial use, but at the same time they’re telling us it’s only for a friend to park a car and for occasional use as a studio, which doesn’t sound too commercial.
“Then we hear that rents are being charged and they’re looking for a summerhouse, which is quite a large summerhouse beyond the normal size that would be permitted development and it’s not going to be used as a summerhouse, it’s going to be used as storage.
“Now the need for storage only arises because they are not going to be using the existing storage or workshop, so they are actually putting all that out into the garden in this summerhouse-cum storage shed.
“I just don’t think it fits in with the idea of a house in that locality. It should be a domestic house and not a commercial enterprise in any sense. I think officers have it spot on here.”
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