Highland Council planning committee throws out controversial plans for new lodge at Dubai ruler's Inverinate estate in Lochalsh
CONTROVERSIAL plans by the ruler of Dubai to build another lodge at his Lochalsh estate have been narrowly rejected by Highland Council.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum wanted to add another lodge – dubbed Ptarmigan Lodge – to his Inverinate estate to accommodate his large family. He has already added one other large property.
But the new development was unpopular locally, particularly with the immediate neighbour Rodderick MacLeod who has lived at his property for 36 years and felt it would be completely out of keeping with the surrounding area.
He stated in his objection comment: “laughable to make the ridiculous statement that this house will fit into the local setting because the mountain it is sited in front of helps it look small.”
Another objection comment – one of 30 in total – this time by a Mrs D Kerr stated: “This is not a proposed modest residential home, but an eyesore of immense proportions that is detrimental to the location (shoreline village) and totally unsympathetic to the local environment and its inhabitants.”
The proposals won the support of the two local members – Councillors Biz Campbell and Derek Macleod – who felt that the applicant together with planning officers had overcome a number of issues in three previous applications.
Those issues involved a loss of privacy for the immediate neighbour, size of the lodge being too imposing – had been reduced to six bedrooms from nine – as well as other matters and should be approved.
Cllr Campbell said: “The mass of the building has been broken down into three elements with pitched roofs and the building mass is also broken up by the using white render finish for the two blocks while the central block would have a finish of natural stone.
“And as you see further along the shore there are two large buildings – the church and the manse – and the planner has done everything possible to work with the applicant and the neighbour.
“I understand the neighbour and his feelings on the thing but I really think that this should be supported – I can’t see a planning reason to go against it.”
Cllr Macleod said: “I am of a similar opinion, all the previous reasons given for the rejection have been overcome. It is now just like the building next door, maybe a bit larger than the run of the mill but the separation and the privacy have been established.
“So I see no reason – especially when you see the photo – why this shouldn’t be approved.”
But the chairwoman of the committee Cllr Maxine Smith intervened and said: “I am at odds with the two local members because when I studied this my first thought was it is massive and it is right next to a much smaller building and I didn’t know if they were objecting to it but I have just heard they are.
“I honestly think that given the applicant owns all that other land I can’t understand why they want to build right next to somebody else when they could have built anywhere along that other section.
“I have no problem with the building somewhere else but putting that massive mansion next to a small bungalow-type property is just awful for the people that live in that place there already.”
The vote was decided to deny planning permission by nine to five.