Esk Valley Trust

Today we have a letter from the Esk Valley Trust to Midlothian Council with regard to our planning application. I have put a copy on our fence display outside our house.

Now the EVT is a wonderful organisation set up to protect the countryside in Mid and East Lothian and I am all for them. I met their secrtary Winnie Stevenson at an AGM for Friends of Roslin Glen last year.
They never wrote to object to our house build but they have written about our application 10/00694/DPP for the external structures around the house. I'm not sure if it is an objection to the application because it starts off;

"I am writing on behalf of the EVT to object to the granting of retrospective permission for the above development"

Remember structures are development in Planning terms so this is about the fence, the steps, path widening and a sitting out area/store. What is interesting is they are objecting as if something has already been granted. Do they know something that I don't?

This aside, the letter states the concern that these developments have taken place in a sensitive area and the approval may set a precedent for other works that will threaten other sites in the river valley. It then states that the planning history is well documented and makes depressing reading. Well every one to their own opinion but I guess I wouldn't use it for bed time reading myself. Is it depressing because they are concerened about precedent or is it depressing because they find our house build so terrible but yet no objection appeared at the time? who knows. There is a reference to communication about Land Use Strategy so maybe we are a part of some larger concern.

The last paragraph though makes clear the importance of our application in their eyes - 

" We believe that every effort must be made to limit the damage in this particular case but, more importantly, we feel that this issue should be addressed at a national level"

Gosh - national level. Maybe this will help Jo who always asks us "why are you two so important?"

I guess it all comes back to the image of this woodland in the eyes of those who have chosen to only look more closely this last year and why I established this blog site. This woodland is not being destroyed - it is loved and is being cared for. Read the blog.
Yesterday I planted Beech, Willow, Holly and Alder on the bank; many of these additions in the area that has been barren for as many years as photographic evidence is available for. I have planted 100s of understorey plants - all native and all with a long term plan to leave this earth feeling I have contributed to the protection of this small parcel of land.

I invite the Esk Valley Trust to visit me and discuss.