Council / Eleven objections lodged against Knab family home plans
PLANS for a new family home at a site near the Knab in Lerwick have received a string of objections from neighbours.
Eleven objections have been lodged against the proposal to replace a shed at Waarie Geo with a two-storey home, which was reported on by Shetland News last month.
It was immediately received well on social media, with many praising the development and replacement of the dilapidated shed.
But a number of residents from Lerwick’s Breiwick Road and the surrounding areas have since written to the council calling on them to throw out the plans, with a number citing concerns about its proximity to the sea.
One objector called the development “the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard”.
The plans for land at the Waarie Geo would see the shed there – previously used as a changing room for young people who learned to swim in the sea there in decades gone by – demolished.
The site was sold by Shetland Islands Council to local company Renewable Kinetics Ltd in 2023 for £48,000.
The plans focus on a “low-slung eco-house to harmonise and visually integrate with the natural environment of this unique and beautiful site”.
Architect Alan McKay, writing on behalf of the applicants, said the “sensitively designed house” would “blend in with the natural environment” at the site near the Knab.
The area would be “improved and kept well maintained”, and would be made to be as “unobtrusive as possible”.
However there have been a number of concerns raised by people in the area, including around whether the site is suitable for a home, disruption to wildlife and access to the beach below being cut off.
One objector said they were “very unhappy” about the plans, and that the home was “far too big for the area”.
“The development is far too big and totally out of keeping with the small stone built semi-detached house that we live in. It will completely change our view,” they wrote.
Another said the house would “damage the surrounding area with all the digging”, and that the site “wasn’t really suitable for a house” given the level of erosion to the banks over the years.
And one objector said the development would be a “gross disturbance of peaceful walking area enjoyed by thousands of visitors to Shetland each year”.
“I strongly disagree that this proposed development is in keeping with the character of the area,” they wrote.
“To insert glass fronted, box style house in this area would completely undermine this iconic scenery.
“Worryingly, this project could open up a ‘land grab’ where anywhere along Breiwick Road is up for grabs.
“The potential negative impact on the local community and visitors to Shetland is extensive.”
They said there was no mention of the access path down to the beach below in the plans, and that the home would be “effectively privatising” the beach if access was cut off.
“I use the beach location for my health and well-being, regularly going there to connect with nature and to mediate,” they said.
“I am devastated at the thought of this development going ahead, in particularly the destruction of the coastline, the destruction of natural habitat, the disturbance it will create for myself and my neighbours.
“Doing nothing or simply removing the shed would be an infinitely more sensible and more sympathetic approach to the land.”
Lerwick Community Council did not object to the plans, but requested further information about the proposal.
Its members have also “expressed concerns regarding the apparent removal of public access to the beach”.
They asked for a “distinct path” to be created for members of the public to access the beach.
Architect McKay wrote in his submission to council planners that the overall height of the Waarie Geo home would be kept to a minimum, with “grass/sedum very gently sloping roofs” are proposed over the ground floor.
A lower level will be “largely invisible to the inhabitants of houses in the area plus road users and pedestrians”.
“To avoid any overlooking issues, the accommodation is arranged to be largely single aspect with all habitable rooms facing the beautiful views out to sea.
“This arrangement also suits the sun-path to maximise useful solar gain throughout the day.”
The house would also be designed to be “as sustainable and energy efficient as possible”, McKay wrote in his submission, which was a “priority” for the project.
“Sustainable ‘green’ materials will be specified as far as possible,” he said.
“Non-toxic hydroscopic insulation materials, e.g. sheep’s wool insulation or hemp are to be specified for the heated envelope.
“All timber will be sourced from managed forests.”
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