Appendix 1 - Objection Mr and Mrs MacKenzie
Perth and Kinross Council · 12 March 2024
Back to Licensing Committee — 12 March 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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1 Civic Licensing From: Anna MacKenzie Sent: 08 November 2023 17:50 To: CDS STL Subject: Strong objection to short term let licence application submitted for ‘Coorie In’ 17 Strathtay Lodges Aberfeldy PH15 2EZ CAUTION: This email originated from an external organisation. Do not follow guidance, click links, or open attachments unless you have verified the sender and know the content is safe. Good afternoon, This is to inform you that we have a major concern regarding lodges located at ‘Strathtay Lodges’ in Aberfeldy if they were granted a licence to operate as short term holiday lets. Most of all and specifically ‘Coorie In’ 17 Strathtay Lodges, Aberfeldy PH15 2EZ (ID 1689) At this point, I should probably add that there has been no public notice displayed by the owners to be clearly viewed by the public and especially those most affected by these premises i.e us - the direct neighbours. We have discovered this application has been made by searching the PKC Stl licence public register online. The lodges in question are located right next to our home at ‘Tomchaldon’, Aberfeldy Distillery PH15 2EB with ‘Coorie In’ 17 being positioned right on our doorstep. We have previously already raised major concern with the planning department when these have started to be erected. The developer has raised the ground so much that these lodges have been built on ground above the level of our garden wall all pointing at our garden. ‘Coorie In’ 17 is closest to our boundary and is facing and looking over at absolutely nothing but our garden!? That is their view from the terrace, just our private space… Due to how squeezed together these 3 lodges have been to put them on the small area of land available in that space, the raised level of ground and the ridiculous proximity to our space we have a great concern already and now even more so if ‘Coorie In’ 17 would be allowed to become holiday let. The way it is now, there is absolutely zero privacy left for us. Or them.. When I open our front door I can look directly into this lodge and vice versa (see photo attached). The noise has already become a problem as there have been different groups staying in this lodge since the beginning of summer already. Perhaps rented out illegally under the current stl regulations? We have a huge concern for security and safety as there’s absolutely no fence of any kind even though the lodge has been built on a raised ground level which is above our garden wall. We already had people taking shortcuts through the distillery grounds and scrambling and falling over up the hill to get to the other lodges further up the hill. When I first discovered these (and especially the one closest to us) were being planned to be squeezed on the bit of land right next to us, I have contacted the architect raising my concern. He has assured me at the time that ‘Suitable boundary treatments will be put in place to screen the lodges from view’ (see photo attached). There has been absolutely NO attempt to adhere to this.
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2 This whole development has no adequate means to enter or exit the site on foot. The makeshift entrance is accessible only by car straight from the main road with no adequate pavements of any sort for people to walk on. Does this mean residents and guests from ‘Coorie In’ 17 and others wanting to walk into town will be simply hopping over and taking shortcuts through our garden and through the distillery grounds? When the weather is warm, we spend a lot of time in our garden with our family, friends and their children. We have already had to dismantle one of our favourite sitting areas as it’s now overlooking nothing but this building site with the lodges pointing directly at us. The other sitting area closer to the boundary is directly affected by ‘Coorie In’ 17 with its floor to ceiling windows on the terrace and on the side of the lodge looking directly at us. We do not need to hear their conversations and certainly don’t want them to hear ours but due to the proximity of this lodge it’s nearly impossible not to. We have a right to privacy and it has all been taken away from us! We certainly and categorically do not wish for all sort of strangers arriving at all times of day and night, having parties, disturbing us with their noise and being a general nuisance. This is what these kinds of holiday lets attract. To be frank, it’s actually beyond belief who would actually pay money to stay in a lodge like this anyway as they wouldn’t have any privacy either.. but that’s not really our concern. I have actually spoken briefly to the owner and she seemed almost surprised at the proximity of the lodge to our space and the fact there’s absolutely zero boundary saying ‘there are a lot of issues with the lodge’. Did they even see it prior to purchase? Or was this bought purely to create a holiday let without any regards to anyone or anything? I find it incredibly unbelievable this development has been allowed to happen in the first place. The whole Aberfeldy and Strathtay community has been agains it from the start as it goes against what the valley stands for and its natural beauty. And that’s the REAL Strathtay which is across on the other side of the valley. Not this ‘Strathtay’ which was changed from ‘Mews of Drumcroy’ for whatever reason. The locals have been paying attention from the beginning and have noticed how this whole development has grown arms and legs and is now becoming a whole Airbnb/Booking.com village! With us being affected most of all and for all the reasons as stated. This whole development has been implemented without any thought to practicality or safety regarding how these people are actually supposed to walk into town. Unless of course they are to take a shortcut through the distillery grounds… The worst is that’s it’s not even finished yet with the terraced flats at the bottom just getting completed. How many holiday lets will be in there?? I actually had a planning officer here last December who has admitted that ‘Oh yes, these are very much in your face’… It might not be a bad idea for an STL officer to visit to actually see what is going on here. I am more than happy to speak to anyone who would like to come over to investigate and hopefully help in this situation. Please see photos for reference although as photos go, they do not do justice to reality and as to how close to us these are and in particular the lodge we are strongly objecting from being granted a holiday let licence. Kind regards, Anna and John MacKenzie From our doorstep: To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. image0.jpeg From where we used to have a sitting area: To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. image1.jpeg
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3 Surrounded by holiday lodges: To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. image2.jpeg ‘Coorie In’17 from our garden: To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. image3.jpeg Screenshot of messages from the architect: To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. image4.jpeg Sent from my iPhone
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1 Civic Licensing From: Anna MacKenzie Sent: 09 November 2023 17:00 To: CDS STL Subject: Re: Strong objection to short term let licence application submitted for ‘Coorie In’ 17 Strathtay Lodges Aberfeldy PH15 2EZ Good afternoon Karen, Thank you for your reply. I will send them in 2 emails, perhaps they were too big to forward in 1. Please let me know if you get them ok. Thank you, Anna From our doorway From our old sitting space:
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2 Surrounded by holiday lets:
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3 Sent from my iPhone On 9 Nov 2023, at 16:53, CDS STL <STL@pkc.gov.uk> wrote: Good afternoon, Thank you for your emails. The images were not viewable. Can you please resubmit the images so that we may attach them to your initiating email objection. Kind regards, Karen <image001.jpg> Karen Engelberts Licensing Enforcement Officer Short Term Lets - Corporate and Legal Services Perth & Kinross Council 2 High Street Perth PH1 5PH Telephone: 01738 475195 (9am – 12pm, Monday through Friday except for public holidays) Web: Short Term Lets - Perth & Kinross Council (pkc.gov.uk) The informaƟon provided may not address your individual requirements, is for informaƟonal purposes only, and does not consƟtute any form of legal advice. It is recommended that you seek your own, independent legal advice. From: Anna MacKenzie Sent: Wednesday, November 8, 2023 6:15 PM To: CDS STL <STL@pkc.gov.uk> Subject: Strong objection to short term let licence application submitted for ‘Coorie In’ 17 Strathtay Lodges Aberfeldy PH15 2EZ CAUTION: This email originated from an external organisation. Do not follow guidance, click links, or open attachments unless you have verified the sender and know the content is safe. Hello, Just looked through my ‘Sent’ emails and I am not sure if the attached photos went through… Please see the relevant below. Anna MacKenzie To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.
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4 To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. Sent from my iPhone The information in this email is solely for the intended recipients. If you are not an intended recipient, you must not disclose, copy, or distribute its contents or use them in any way: please advise the sender immediately and delete this email. Perth & Kinross Council does not warrant that this email or any attachments are virus-free and does not accept any liability for any loss or damage resulting from any virus infection. Perth & Kinross Council may monitor or examine any emails received by its email system. The information contained in this email may not be the views of Perth & Kinross Council. It is possible for email to be falsified and the sender cannot be held responsible for the integrity of the information contained in it. General enquiries to Perth & Kinross Council should be made to enquiries@pkc.gov.uk or 01738 475000.
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1 Civic Licensing From: Anna MacKenzie < > Sent: 09 November 2023 17:03 To: CDS STL Subject: Re: Strong objection to short term let licence application submitted for ‘Coorie In’ 17 Strathtay Lodges Aberfeldy PH15 2EZ ‘Coorie In’17 right beside our boundary on raised level sitting above our ground level: Screenshot of conversation with the architect:
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2 Sent from my iPhone On 9 Nov 2023, at 16:59, Anna MacKenzie wrote: Good afternoon Karen, Thank you for your reply. I will send them in 2 emails, perhaps they were too big to forward in 1. Please let me know if you get them ok. Thank you, Anna From our doorway <image2.jpeg> From our old sitting space: <image3.jpeg> Surrounded by holiday lets:
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3 <image5.jpeg> Sent from my iPhone On 9 Nov 2023, at 16:53, CDS STL <STL@pkc.gov.uk> wrote: Good afternoon, Thank you for your emails. The images were not viewable. Can you please resubmit the images so that we may attach them to your initiating email objection. Kind regards, Karen <image001.jpg> Karen Engelberts Licensing Enforcement Officer Short Term Lets - Corporate and Legal Services Perth & Kinross Council 2 High Street Perth PH1 5PH Telephone: 01738 475195 (9am – 12pm, Monday through Friday except for public holidays) Web: Short Term Lets - Perth & Kinross Council (pkc.gov.uk) The informaƟon provided may not address your individual requirements, is for informaƟonal purposes only, and does not consƟtute any form of legal advice. It is recommended that you seek your own, independent legal advice. From: Anna MacKenzie Sent: Wednesday, November 8, 2023 6:15 PM To: CDS STL <STL@pkc.gov.uk> Subject: Strong objection to short term let licence application submitted for ‘Coorie In’ 17 Strathtay Lodges Aberfeldy PH15 2EZ CAUTION: This email originated from an external organisation. Do not follow guidance, click links, or open attachments unless you have verified the sender and know the content is safe. Hello, Just looked through my ‘Sent’ emails and I am not sure if the attached photos went through… Please see the relevant below. Anna MacKenzie
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4 07766731633 To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. Sent from my iPhone The information in this email is solely for the intended recipients. If you are not an intended recipient, you must not disclose, copy, or distribute its contents or use them in any way: please advise the sender immediately and delete this email. Perth & Kinross Council does not warrant that this email or any attachments are virus-free and does not accept any liability for any loss or damage resulting from any virus infection. Perth & Kinross Council may monitor or examine any emails received by its email system. The information contained in this email may not be the views of Perth & Kinross Council. It is possible for email to be falsified and the sender cannot be held responsible for the integrity of the information contained in it. General enquiries to Perth & Kinross Council should be made to enquiries@pkc.gov.uk or 01738 475000.