Couple face having to tear down their dream £600,000 mansion

A devastated Scots couple who made a ‘few changes’ to approved plans when building their dream £600,000 mansion have been told they may have to tear it down by the summer. 

David and Dawn Allan flattened an existing structure and built a huge villa in their hometown of Gorebridge in Midlothian, just outside of Edinburgh, after applying for planning permission for the development in 2018.

But they went on to modify the development after receiving permission and the new design had not been approved.

In a letter to the Scottish Government, Mrs Allan, 50, said: ‘In 2019 I was issued with a building warrant and a letter to confirm I could proceed with the construction. 

‘My builders built the house according to this warrant plan with a few changes made along the way for which we submitted retrospective planning.’

It was this retrospective submission which later piqued the Midlothian Council’s concerns.

David and Dawn Allan flattened a building on the site and built a huge villa in their hometown of Gorebridge in Midlothian, just outside of Edinburgh, after applying for permission for the development in 2018

A Midlothian Council spokesman said: ‘We can confirm the building warrant was not issued in error and all relevant procedures were followed.

‘We served an enforcement notice on 18 November because the building doesn’t comply with the approved plans. We formally raised the issue of the unauthorised work with the owner’s planning agent back in February 2022 and gave the owner time to voluntarily make the required changes.

‘The owner now has the option of either making those changes by 20 April, 2023 or demolishing the building by 20 June.’

The couple claim they were blindsided by the council’s decision. 

The Allans, who run a successful coach company, pleaded for extra time to fix any issues with the new home – before they were hit with the enforcement notice warning them to make changes or demolish the villa by the summer. 

They have now turned to the Scottish Government in a last bid to solve the problem but have been told missed deadlines mean nothing can be done – and now face bills of more than £100,000 to alter plans, having already spent £16,000 in fees in their current battle.

Mrs Allan said the ongoing fight had taken a toll on her health.

But they claim to have been left stunned to learn that they were refused retrospective planning because officials at Midlothian Council had issued a warrant by mistake because a ‘hipped’ roof over the top of garages at the house were ‘detrimental’ to the local area

She added: ‘The subsequent work involved with new plans, structure, demolition and rebuilding required is going to cost us over £100,000 that we did not budget for and may well result in us finishing the house and having to sell it if this can’t be resolved.

‘I am also at the mercy of builders and engineers being so busy for months ahead and the trouble of obtaining building materials.

‘The stress has affected my physical and mental health for which I am now on medication for, so the additional stress is just awful.

‘I have been actively trying to resolve the matter all this year and have spent over £16,000 extra fees on architect and planning and building warrant fees so far.’