Falkirk councillors give go ahead to garden beauty salon

Planning officers had recommended refusing permission for the small salon behind a house on Shannon Drive, Falkirk, as it is on a bend and close to a primary school, with limited

parking.

Members of Falkirk Council’s planning committee were told this week that it would require class 1A planning permission, which officers feared could lead to other businesses being able

to use the site in the future.

But agent Ronan McGirr told the committee that the application was for very small-scale use, a few days a week, with no more than one customer at a time.

He said: “She’s just a one-person business – she doesn’t employ anyone, it’s just herself.

“The fact that its being taken as Class 1A commercial use is overkill.

“This is a part-time business at the back of her house!”

Mr McGirr said the concerns about parking were also unfounded.

“I think the requirement for three spaces is also overkill.

“It is a very spacious driveway for a domestic house, but there will only ever be one person needing to park a car and there is plenty of parking in this area.”

The applicant, Lisa Edmondson, told members that she has no plans to expand her business and customers will be there strictly by appointment only.

She is very aware of how busy the area is at pick-up and drop-off times for the school and assured members she would not have clients either arriving or leaving at those times.

Planning officers warned councillors that it would be difficult to enforce conditions but if members wanted to grant permission these could be considered due to the exceptional

circumstances.

Several councillors agreed that they wanted to find a “pragmatic solution” that would allow the applicant to go ahead with her plans but ensure that no bigger, busier businesses used the

permission in the future.

They agreed that exceptional circumstances meant they could attach a condition that the outbuilding could by the applicant only and restricted to the use of a beauty salon.