Council / Appeal over Bigton bothy refusal thrown out by planning committee
PLANS for a small bothy style building between Bigton and Rerwick have been refused by councillors following an appeal.
The bothy was proposed to be built next to a former Scottish Water pump house at Geosetter, which would have been turned into a shed with an extension housing a composting toilet.
The council’s planning department refused the application in November, saying it went against as many as seven national planning policies.
And after an appeal by the applicant, councillors on the planning committee have decided that was the correct decision.
The plans come from mainland-based Thomas Mushet, an international trade advisor and artist who wants a small base for when he visits Shetland.
Planning documents said the bothy, which would have a timber and metal exterior, would contain a living area and a kitchen, while there would be two parking spaces.
Joe Serrano, who works for née gibson architects and was representing Mushet at Wednesday’s meeting, said his client wanted the flexibility to be able to come to Shetland at a “moment’s notice”.
The building was “essentially derelict” at present, he said, and was becoming “increasingly ugly”.
Serrano described the bothy proposal as “well designed”.
A planning statement also said the applicant has the “greatest of respect for the environment as well as Shetland’s natural beauty” and had already stripped back the original vision.
However councillors were told that the application went against seven national and five local planning policies.
One of the reasons given was that it does not maintain the character and identity of the area.
An appeal was submitted against the planning refusal earlier this year, with a supporting document saying that the applicant chose a “very light-touch approach”.
“We understand and acknowledge that this proposal is at odds with policy, but it was felt that sometimes the circumstances merit the pursuit of a proposal that we feel is clearly better for the wider area, than the existing situation,” the statement said.
It also noted how there are national planning policies regarding the improvement of abandoned or unused buildings.
However councillor Davie Sandison said it he found it “really difficult to see how we can balance” the concerns about planning policies with the mitigations.
“There’s a sufficient number of policies not being met here,” he said.
“I have no hesitation in supporting the refusal.”
North Isles representative Robert Thomson said he “really can’t find a reason to disagree” with Sandison.
And Cecil Smith, who said he was very familiar with the area in question, added that for all that had been said about improving the view the council “have to follow the regulations set in front of us”.
“I’ve not heard anything to change my mind,” he said.
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