Savills rural planning team in Edinburgh was approached to assemble a planning strategy that would give confidence to the local planning authority in dealing with a striking and unusual development. The planning team has considerable experience in helping to nurture a collaborative approach with planning authorities on projects such as this.
Our client wanted to combine his longstanding love of vintage buses with an exciting diversification project on his farm. His aspiration was to create a unique 'glamping' experience by converting 1980s diesel buses into high specification, luxury accommodation in the heart of the rolling East Lothian countryside.
The first step was to appoint urban design consultants to help draft a creative 'vision' for what the development could look like. By sharing this vision of the site with the planners, this helped to capture their interest and begin a constructive dialogue that moved away from concerns over the principle of the development and focused instead on the technical challenges of delivering a planning permission. In this way we were able to draft a practical list of issues that the project team would need to respond to through its application submission.
Angus Dodds was a knowledgeable middle man between ourselves and East Lothian Council. His relationship with the council was key to the success of our planning application and was invaluable. He responded quickly and efficiently to queries and provided sound advice when necessary.
S. Stewart, Bankrugg Farm
Having won the trust and support of the planning case officer, she worked alongside us finding solutions to matters such as: surface water drainage; parking; and impacts on neighbouring residential amenity.
East Lothian Council was able to support the project and a further application was subsequently made, securing even more luxury buses on another part of the farm.
Since opening its passenger doors, the 'Bus Stop' has continued to attract widespread media attention, and has enjoyed glowing online reviews and enviable occupancy rates. Rural East Lothian now has a truly unique type of visitor accommodation, and the planning case officer has a fantastic case study to show how the planning system can deliver on ambitious and creative projects.