A couple whose home has been surrounded by idyllic countryside for 50 years face a “nightmare” as a developer wants to surround their property with almost 1,000 new builds. Stan and Margot Gowrie, both 73, bought their cottage near Mayfield, Scotland, half a century ago.
But fields which were once farmed for crops and provided them with views for miles around could be torn up and covered in 926 new properties. Stan said: “We’ll be surrounded to the side, to the back and to the front. It’s a constant worry. The road in front of the house is going to be the access and exit to all the developments.”
Barratt Redrow’s proposal for the new development would see houses built on land south of Mayfield and take around 10 years to complete, leaving the couple surrounded by a building site for the best part of a decade.
After the plans were submitted several years ago and later revised, they were agreed in principle in 2023. They were delayed again by planning officials last week.
When Stan and Margot married aged 23 they moved into the cottage as they wanted to live somewhere quiet. Stan said: “In those days it was very quiet – the road in front of our house had the odd car going along it.
“All the extra traffic is going to be passing my house. It’s just going to be terrible.
“People say, ‘Well, why don’t you just move?’ But who’s going to buy the house knowing that there’s going to be 1,000 houses built around the building? I don’t think anybody would.”
Margo told Edinburgh Live: “We were horrified when we found out how many houses they wanted to build.
“I don’t know what it’s going to turn into with the heavy traffic and the noise, and the building work we’ll have for the next 10 years, with all the dirt, dust and mess.”
The plans were delayed at a meeting of Midlothian Council’s planning committee last week.
Councillors raised concerns about a number of “unanswered questions” about work which would need to be carried out before building starts.
Midlothian Council said Planning Committee members decided to defer decisions on the respective application to hold a dedicated workshop on the matter.
It said this would preferably include the developers and consider infrastructure, facilities and local impact to determine the outcome of the application.
Barratt Redrow told Edinburgh Live they are liaising with the council. Bosses said the developer aims to maintain a constructive dialogue with officers and members.