Minutes
Argyll and Bute Council · 18 November 2025
Back to Planning, Protective Services and Licensing Committee — 18 November 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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MINUTES of MEETING of PLANNING, PROTECTIVE SERVICES AND LICENSING COMMITTEE held BY MICROSOFT TEAMS on WEDNESDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2025 Present: Councillor Kieron Green (Chair) Councillor John Armour Councillor Jan Brown Councillor Audrey Forrest Councillor Fiona Howard Councillor Dougie Philand Councillor Peter Wallace Attending: Stuart McLean, Committee Manager Alida Acherman, Licensing Standards Officer David Walker, Solicitor Alan Morrison, Applicant Pi Davidson, Applicant’s Agent Patricia Jackson, Objector 1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Gordon Blair, Amanda Hampsey, Daniel Hampsey, Graham Hardie, Mark Irvine, Andrew Kain, Paul Kennedy and Liz McCabe. 2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST There were no declarations of interest. 3. CIVIC GOVERNMENT (SCOTLAND) ACT 1982, THE CIVIC GOVERNMENT (SCOTLAND) ACT 1982 (LICENSING OF SHORT-TERM LETS) ORDER 2022: APPLICATION FOR GRANT OF A SHORT-TERM LET LICENCE (A MORRISON, CURLEW COTTAGE, BRUICHLADDICH, ISLE OF ISLAY) The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting. In line with recent legislation for Civic Government Hearings, the parties (and any representatives) were given the options for participating in the meeting today. The options available were by video call, by audio call or by written submission. For this hearing the Applicant and his Agent opted to proceed by way of video call and Alan Morrison and Pi Davidson joined the meeting by MS Teams. Patricia Jackson, Objector, opted to proceed by audio call and joined the meeting by telephone. Before proceeding further, the Chair invited the Licensing Standards Officer to address the matter of a late letter of objection from Mrs Jackson which had been received out with the time period allowed by the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 for making objections or representations. It was noted that it would be competent under Paragraph 3(2) of Schedule 1 of the 1982 Act for the Committee to entertain a late objection or representation if they were satisfied that there was sufficient reason for it not having been made within the time allowed. It was also noted that the Applicant had been provided with a copy of the late objection.
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Mrs Jackson explained that this was not a new objection, but additional information to clarify her previous objection. Mr Morrison confirmed that he would have no objection to this late submission being admitted into the hearing today. Having noted the reason for the late objection, the Committee agreed to accept this into the process. The Chair ruled, and the Committee agreed, to adjourn the meeting at 3.40 pm for 10 minutes to allow time for the late objection to be circulated and considered. The Committee reconvened at 3.50 pm with all those present as per the sederunt. The Chair invited the Licensing Standards Officer to speak to the terms of the report. Thereafter the procedure set out in Appendix 6 of the report was followed, and the Chair invited the Applicant and his Agent to speak in support of the application. APPLICANT The following statement was read out by the Applicant. My name is Alan Morrison. I've owned Curlew Cottage since 2007 and operated it successfully as a holiday let from 2008 until 2022, when the licensing scheme was introduced. This cottage was purpose-built as a holiday let in 1985. For nearly 15 years, I operated it with no complaints from neighbours. I would like to resume that use, with Mrs Davidson managing on a day-to-day basis. and I want to do it properly. I understand Mrs Jackson has legitimate concerns about boundaries and the septic system. I take full responsibility for addressing both. I commit to installing a boundary fence with vehicle gate before accepting any guest bookings. This will clearly separate the two properties and address privacy and security concerns. I acknowledge there is an issue with where the boundary lies but I'm ready to work with Mrs Jackson on this and the fence design and will ensure it's appropriate for the rural setting. I commit to completing the septic tank replacement. The work is scheduled for the week commencing 24th November 2025, with written confirmation from our contractor, Callum Simpson of Septic Tank Services. A new system will be installed entirely within our boundary, fully compliant with SEPA regulations. No guests will be accepted until both the fence and septic tank are complete. I will provide photographic evidence to the licensing officer before we begin operating. The Licensing Officer inspected the property and recommended approval. We meet all safety requirements. We simply want to resume what this cottage was built for - providing quality holiday accommodation on the island - while being responsible, considerate neighbours. Thank you. The Applicant’s Agent read out the following statement.
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My name is Pi Davidson, and I'll be managing the day-to-day operations of Curlew Cottage as Alan's agent. I also want to acknowledge that communication between myself and Mrs Jackson has been difficult at times. I take responsibility for my part in that. Moving forward, I'm committed to maintaining professional, respectful communication, and we have local contacts who can help mediate any issues that arise. I understand that Mrs Jackson has concerns about how the property will be managed. I want to reassure the Committee and Mrs Jackson that we take neighbour relations seriously. Here's how we'll manage the property responsibly: Bins: Stored at the property and wheeled to the roadside only on collection days. The shared driveway: Our house manual includes clear instructions for navigating the access track safely, including protocols for passing other vehicles. Comprehensive house manual: All guests will receive detailed information about boundaries, expected behaviour standards, and respecting neighbours. This will be provided in pre-arrival communications, welcome emails, and a physical manual inside the property. We have two local contacts who can respond immediately to any issues raised by neighbours or guests. I live on Jura and travel to Islay regularly. I'm accessible and committed to addressing any concerns quickly and professionally. We want to be exemplary neighbours and responsible operators. This property operated successfully for 15 years - we're asking for the opportunity to demonstrate we can do so again. Thank you. QUESTIONS FROM OBJECTOR Mrs Jackson asked Mr Morrison where the evidence was that the cottage was used as a holiday let between 2020 and 2022. She said that she bought her property at the beginning of 2020 and had been assured at that time by Mr Jackson and Mrs Davidson that Curlew Cottage had been used as a holiday let in the past and was no longer used. She said that during 2020 it had been occupied 3 or 4 times by family and friends. She said the claim made that it was operating as a holiday let until 2022 was not correct. Mr Morrison advised it was the case that it was last let in 2022. He referred to dealing with the Covid period when no one was visiting. He said that he’d had a good relationship with his previous neighbour and had previously had a number of regular visitors to the cottage. He said that he was disappointed that due to the incoming licensing legislation and being a busy time personally for himself because of post Covid work, he was not able to continue letting it. He said it was the case that they were letting it until the new licensing regime came into place.
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OBJECTOR Mrs Jackson said that she hoped the issue with the septic tank would be addressed. She commented that it would be really close to her boundary. She advised that the boundary fence remained an issue and referred to trying and failing to make contact with Mr Morrison to discuss this. She said she would like Mr Morrison’s assurance that he would meet with her to have a proper discussion about where the boundary was. She said it was a complicated boundary which cut diagonally across the land. She said it was going to be difficult to put a fence up along the boundary. She advised that the other issue was privacy. She referred to seating outside the front of Curlew Cottage. She explained that as the land was higher there than her land, those seats looked directly into her dining room where her family sat quite often. She said that people sitting on the seats outside could be heard from inside her house and that she could see them watching her. She said she would like the seating to be removed from the front of the house. She advised that at the moment it was located 2 metres from where she got out of her car and that people were able to watch her coming and going. She said she wanted Mr Morrison to address that. She advised that this would have a huge impact on her day-to-day life, being presented with different people every week and the potential for hundreds of different dogs in the area over the year. She said it would be a massive impact on her life. QUESTIONS FROM APPLICANT Mr Morrison advised that he had no questions. MEMBERS’ QUESTIONS Councillor Forrest asked the Licensing Standards Officer for her view on whether the seats overlooked the neighbour’s house. Ms Acherman advised that when she visited the property she looked out of all the windows from inside the property. She said she did not sit on the seats which were positioned in front of the middle of the property. She said she did not notice at any point that she was looking into someone’s dining area or kitchen when she was at the front of the property. Councillor Green asked Mr Morrison if the proposed fence would resolve Mrs Jackson’s concerns regarding overlooking. Mr Morrison said he was not certain. He explained the boundary fence would come from the front southeast of the cottage. He said the corner of the cottage adjacent to Mrs Jackson’s property had an accessible pathway, with a gentle sloping ramp to the front door that continued around the front of the property. The location of the seating was next to the front door in the middle of the front elevation. Mr Morrison advised that the fence would be on his boundary and that he did not think it would be a solid barrier type fence. Mrs Jackson agreed that a post and wire fence with vegetation would be more in keeping with the area. She said the seating at the front elevation and the path were higher than her parking area and window into her dining area. She advised that unless the fence was really high, anyone sitting there would be able to look over. SUMMING UP Objector
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Mrs Jackson referred to her objection about the septic tank and said she hoped that would be dealt with. She advised that she still had misgivings about the significant effect this proposed short-term let would have on her and her family’s privacy and security. She said that until a gate was installed securely children and dogs would not be able to be kept under control within Curlew Cottage grounds. She commented that if Mr Morrison was saying he would address this, she would just have to wait and see. Applicant Mr Morrison said that he and his family have always visited the cottage 3 to 5 times per year with their dog. He advised that they never let their dog loose in the front garden off lead. He referred to sheep being in the adjacent field. He confirmed that he would make it a house rule that only dogs on a lead can be walked from the house. He said that he shared Mrs Jackson’s frustration about the septic tank. He advised that the problem came about just after Covid and had never been a problem before. He said he found getting a locally based contractor very difficult as they were very busy on the island. He advised that the contractor was local to Lochgilphead and a specialist in septic tanks and that he was sure he would do a first-class job. He confirmed that he would be happy to work with Mrs Jackson in respect of the boundary. He commented that Mrs Jackson and her family had done an excellent job renovating their property and grounds. He referred to running the property as a holiday let in the past with people staying there year after year. He said he was confident that things would settle down and the issues Mrs Jackson had would be resolved. When asked, both parties confirmed that they had received a fair hearing. DEBATE Councillor Brown said she shared the issues highlighted by the Objector. She said these issues were not new and were often highlighted by neighbours. She commented that she appreciated that this property was not a short-term let when Mrs Jackson took possession of her home. She advised that she hoped, with a good bit of give and take on both sides that these issues could be resolved. She said she would be happy to grant this short-term let licence. Councillor Howard sought and received confirmation from the Council’s Solicitor that the Committee would not be able to include a condition regarding the boundary fence as this was a private matter for parties to resolve and fell out with the licensing regime. He said Members could, if they wished, make a recommendation in this regard. Councillor Green asked the Council’s Solicitor if a condition could be included preventing pets from being in the property until the fence was erected. Mr Walker advised that it may be best to make a recommendation that this be included in the guest handbook but he would double check and get back to the Committee. Councillor Armour referred to the property being a self-catering property from 2007 to 2020. He said he assumed that due to Covid they did not have anyone staying there from 2020 to 2022 as it was very difficult to operate anything at all during that time. He commented that if this was a family home there could be potentially more than the recommended maximum of 6 people for the short-term let residing there. He said there would not be people there all the time. He advised that he could see where the Objector was coming from in respect of concerns about privacy but commented that this was part of
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living next door to someone else. He advised that if someone wanted total privacy then they would need to have a house well away from everyone else. He added that as someone that used to have a holiday let business, he met some very nice and interesting people and that there were very few that caused problems. He said that he had noted that there were people on the island that would be able to deal with any problems that came up. He said he understood the Objector was looking for privacy but as this had been run successfully as a holiday let until 2022, he could not see what will have changed and that he would have no issue with approving this application. Councillor Philand said he was reassured that Mr Morrison intended to help his neighbour with the issues raised and that he wished to address these. He said he believed that would happen. He also noted that a number of the recommended conditions associated with the licence would address some of these issues. He hoped that these conditions and working with Mr Morrison to address the other issues, would give Mrs Jackson some reassurance. He said he would be happy to grant this licence. Councillor Green said he was satisfied that the Applicant had responded to the various concerns raised from the neighbouring property. He said he was likewise minded to support this application. Mr Walker referred to the earlier question about a condition to prevent dogs coming to the property until the fence was erected. He advised that the condition relating to anti-social behaviour could be used to raise any issues in respect of dogs. DECISION The Committee unanimously agreed to grant a short-term let licence to Alan Morrison subject to the inclusion of additional conditions set out in the report in respect of anti-social behaviour, privacy and security, littering and waste disposal, damage to property, and wood burning stoves/open fires, and noted that he would receive written confirmation of this within 7 days. (Reference: Report by Regulatory Services and Building Standards Manager and late objection, tabled)