Planners unimpressed by 500 Abbotsford "protestors"

SPECIAL FEATURE by DOUG COLLIE

The case made by hundreds of objectors from around the world, including aristocrats and transatlantic foundations, all of them seeking to protect Abbotsford House, home of the writer Sir Walter Scott from a controversial housing project has been demolished and rejected by Scottish Borders Council.

And the local authority's planners have hit back, claiming a modern visitor centre constructed by Abbotsford's Trustees, was clearly never part of the original heritage and setting of Abbotsford.

Although original proposals for 45 houses on land at Netherbarns, 400 metres from Scott's 'A' listed mansion, were rejected by Scottish Government officials and ministers over 15 years ago, the council is insisting a revised proposal by the landowner should be included in a new Local Development Plan (LDP) for the Borders.

It means the Netherbarns scheme will now be examined again by government planning reporters when they consider the proposed LDP in its entirety. More than a thousand responses were submitted during the plan's consultation period, some 500 of them relating to the perceived threat to Abbotsford.

The Netherbarns housing was strongly condemned by Douglas Pringle, an attorney based in Wichita, Kansas, who is president of the wealthy K T Wiedemann Foundation. The organisation has donated well over $150,000 to the Abbotsford Trust to help with restoration of the house and its outstanding collection of Scott books and artefacts. 

Mr Pringle told SBC in his written submission on behalf of the Foundation: "The [Netherbarns] proposals have a highly negative impact on Abbotsford. It would be a pity to see this idyllic setting destroyed by this project".

There were protests too from the Dandie Dinmont Terrier Clubs of Canada and the United States, from art expert Bendor Grosvenor, and from Conservative peer Lord Sanderson of Bowden, former chairman of Abbotsford Trustees.

Abbotsford chief executive Giles Ingram wrote: "We hope we can forestall the site's inclusion in future LDPs by putting forward our case, now and forever, on the detrimental impact of a development at Netherbarns on Abbotsford, the jewel in the crown of the Borders".

Opposition also came from the University of Wyoming in Scotland Program, Save Britain's Heritage, Europa Nostra, and the Faculty of Advocates Abbotsford Collection Trust which owns many important Scott-related objects including his 9,000 books.

However, a document running to more than 850 pages, which includes responses by planning officials to the representations, was approved by the Conservative/Independent controlled council last month. The strongly worded document does not appear to have received any media coverage. In the past SBC has donated £1.5 million towards Abbotsford's renovation work.

The section on Netherbarns says: "It is acknowledged that the site has a history and has previously been omitted from the Plan by Reporters from the Scottish Government. However, it is not uncommon for submissions to be made again for sites that have been dismissed previously. 

"What needs to be considered is whether there are any new material considerations and amendments to the proposal which have not previously been tabled which could justify the site being considered for inclusion within the Plan. In respect of these new proposals, amongst other matters it is noted that the location for the proposed houses are on a different part of the overall site compared to submissions previously. No development is now proposed on the larger eastern part of the site closest to Abbotsford House and more new planting is proposed throughout the site to screen it further. 

"Taking these points into consideration there is no doubt that this new amended proposal has not been subject to previous Examination and it is entirely inaccurate to state otherwise. Consequently the new amended proposal has the right to be considered for inclusion within the LDP as is the case for all other proposals for other sites across the region which offer new material changes which have not previously been subject to Examination. The Applicants have taken on board previous reasons for the site being rejected and have amended the plans in an effort to address this.

A full planning application was submitted under an interim housing policy for the development of 79 dwelling houses on the site in 2004. The application was approved by the Planning Committee. However, ultimately it was refused by Scottish Ministers after it was called-in."

SBC adds that officers have visited the grounds of Abbotsford during winter months and remain strongly of the view that only fleeting glimpses of the site are visible, even in the months when tree coverage is less.

It is therefore recommended that this further site requirement is added to the Plan stipulating the following: ‘No development to take place on the lower eastern part of the site closest to Abbotsford House and bounded by the existing stone wall to the north west as shown on the plan submitted by the landowner. The land to be utilised as open space’

The council acknowledged that members of the public still walk around the grounds of Abbotsford during the winter months. It is considered members of the public are much more likely to look backwards towards the House to appreciate its undoubted attractive build and setting, and when looking from the grounds in the other direction, the predominant focus of attention is the River Tweed and the mature tree belt on the other side, as opposed to any fleeting glimpses, which would be absolutely minimal if at all, of the proposed houses. 

"Critically it must be recognised that any existing fleeting glimpses of where the proposed houses will be located will be hidden by proposed new planting. The Council is not aware of any evidence that any glimpses of existing houses at Kingknowes or Netherbank (located across the A7 from the site) through the existing mature tree belt in any way affects the public’s enjoyment or experience of walking the grounds of Abbotsford House.

SBC then makes reference to the  changing landscape and the Abbotsford visitor centre.

"One of the major concerns raised with regards to the views from Abbotsford House and its grounds is that the land should remain sacrosanct and should not be altered in any way which would blight views in this direction. Landscapes naturally change over time and at one point views from Abbotsford House and the surrounding land would have looked over towards an operational railway line. Obviously times have moved on, trees have grown, approximately 90 houses have been built around the Kingsknowes Hotel, some of which can be seen from Abbotsford House and its grounds. Fleeting glimpses can also be seen of Netherbank through the trees given their elevated position above the A7. Consequently, it is not considered that this new proposal can reasonably be considered to be inappropriate in light of other changes over the years.

"There can be absolutely no doubt that the Visitor Centre located on the south east side of Abbotsford House is extremely prominent within the setting of Abbotsford House and the surrounding landscape. This is even more significant given it is the first building viewed by members of the public from the public car park. There is little doubt that the building has been successful but nevertheless it is of modern and innovative design which was clearly never part of the original heritage and setting of Abbotsford House. However, the Council is unaware of any evidence at all that this large prominent and dominant modern building has in any way diluted the enjoyment of parties visiting the site. It is therefore not agreed that any of the proposed dwelling houses, which would be located some 400 metres away from Abbotsford House and hidden behind existing and proposed trees, would have any impact remotely like the visitor centre or indeed existing houses which are partly visible.

The council says it is not aware of any evidence that existing development within the vicinity of Abbotsford has a negative impact upon the local/national economy including hotels, restaurants and other local businesses involved in tourism as well as upon the Southern Upland Way and fisherman. It cannot therefore be argued that the Netherbarns proposal will have an unacceptable impact on these factors given existing cumulative developments, which are considerably greater, have no such impacts.

In its Conclusions section the document states: "It is considered that the new amended plans, which have not been subject to previous Examination, satisfactorily address the reasons for the site’s previous rejections which includes matters such as where houses are proposed within the site, land to be kept free from development and proposed further planting.

"It is considered any impacts on Abbotsford House, its grounds and its setting will be minimal if at all, and undoubtedly the proposals will have much less impact than existing developments such as existing houses at Kingsknowes and Netherbank and the Visitor Centre. The Council is unaware of any evidence that these developments have impacted on visitors / members of the public’s enjoyment and experience of visiting Abbotsford House and its grounds. As is the case with many other existing developments either within or within the vicinity of the Garden and Designed Landscape designation, it is not considered this proposal will have any detrimental impacts on it. It is considered the site requirements, including added confirmation that no development should take place on the eastern part of the site closest to Abbotsford House, will ensure satisfactory control of the proposal along with addressing all necessary mitigation measures. The Masterplan will offer the opportunity for interested parties to input into the site’s development. It is concluded there are no justifiable reasons to now oppose these new amended plans and the site should be included within the Local Development Plan".