A Milnathort woman has called on councillors to let her set up a beauty salon at her home.
Sheila Kellett’s application to change a converted garage in Croftwynd from residential to business use has been referred to the local review body after being refused by Perth and Kinross Council officers.
The scheme was considered incompatible with the character of the cul-de-sac, given there would be four appointments each weekday.
“This proposal provides a workplace within a residential area for someone to travel to,” the decision notice said.
“The change of use, due to the scale of the development, would not be compatible with the amenity and character of the area.”
But Sheila is hoping that councillors will pay heed to her plea for a rethink and grant planning permission when the review body meets on January 16.
Salon ‘would help mental health’
Sheila, a nurse at NHS Forth Valley, wrote: “My mental health is suffering due to my current, high-stress job in the NHS, and I believe I could significantly improve this by being my own boss working from home.
“I have a fairly lengthy commute to my current place of work which makes for a very long working day, adds to my general stress levels, particularly in the winter, and increases my carbon footprint.
“All of this could be substantially improved by my being able to work from home.”
Sheila added that she has received support from nearby residents.
We are both emotionally tied to this house and to our friendly and supportive neighbours and would hate to move if not absolutely necessary.”
Sheila Kellett
“I have spoken to most of the immediate neighbours and they all express surprise and some dismay on my behalf that permission has been refused,” she wrote.
“Therefore I can only assume that they have no objections to the proposal.
“With the current mortgage my husband and I have on this property I cannot afford, at this stage, to rent separate premises (and there are none currently suitable locally in any case).
“So the only other option would be to sell up, downsize and free up some cash resource to rent a property, which would almost certainly involve a commute to some extent.
“This would not only involve additional stress, but we are both emotionally tied to this house and to our friendly and supportive neighbours and would hate to move if not absolutely necessary.”
Would Milnathort home beauty salon disrupt street?
The planning application brings the debate on home-working to the fore.
While officers claimed in their decision notice that “the council is supportive of proposals which enable people to open new businesses,” they emphasised “it is important that these are in the right location”.
For Sheila’s proposal they felt the “scale of the development” could not be supported in a residential area.
But she believes otherwise.
“I understand that one facet of the Perth and Kinross Council planning strategy is to facilitate people being able to work from home where possible,” she wrote.
“And I believe that, in my case, my proposal entails little or no disruption to the current nature of the street.”
The local review body meeting can be viewed online on, and after, January 16
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