Lotto heiress wins battle with neighbours to build £5million mansion

2023-02-09

Lotto heiress, 33, and her husband, 34, win battle with neighbours to demolish their bungalow and build £5million mansion as they settle down after travelling the world on back of her parents’ £33m jackpot win

Lisa Charters is settling down after travelling the world with her husband
Her parents won £33million win on the National Lottery seven years ago

Its ultra-modern design has divided opinion in a leafy Scots suburb.

But the construction of a £5million mansion for a family of lottery winners has been given the green light by councillors.

Lisa Charters, 33, and her husband Craig, 34, are settling down after travelling the world on the back of her parents’ £33million win on the National Lottery seven years ago.

The couple, originally from Hawick, Roxburghshire, sparked complaints from residents in the capital’s Morningside over plans to knock down a bungalow and replace it with a three-storey villa with views of Edinburgh Castle.

Despite 63 letters of objection, a City of Edinburgh Council committee yesterday granted the Charters planning permission.

Lisa Charters, 33, and her husband Craig, 34, sparked complaints from residents in the capital’s Morningside over plans to knock down a bungalow and replace it with a three-storey villa with views of Edinburgh Castle

Councillor Euan Hyslop said: ‘I can understand why there have been a number of concerns raised by neighbouring residents. But I think it is a fitting addition.

‘It is modern, uncompromisingly modern, which is a good way of putting it. But I think it is an architecturally really interesting application. I can’t see it having a massive impact on amenity.

‘It is a welcome application and I will be supporting it.’

Hal Osler, chairman of the development management subcommittee, said: ‘This has been a really interesting application. It was quite complicated when it came to us.

‘It is a new build, they are trying to be sustainable and they are trying to ”move forward”. I do admire the applicants for bringing this forward as it is extremely challenging.

‘I hope they manage to build it and have a wonderful time living there. I, for one, will be supporting it.’

The Charters’ initial plans were drawn after a planning furore last year, reducing the height of the building by 5ft and moving it slightly away from a neighbour’s property.

But some objectors took exception to planning officials from the council suggesting the potential use of public transport formed part of their case recommending the project for approval.

The Charters’ initial plans were drawn after a planning furore last year, reducing the height of the building by 5ft and moving it slightly away from a neighbour’s property

Councillor Euan Hyslop said: ‘It is modern, uncompromisingly modern, which is a good way of putting it. But I think it is an architecturally really interesting application. I can’t see it having a massive impact on amenity’

The document states: ‘Lothian Bus service 15 is an approximate eight-minute walk away onto Pentland Terrace, which provides access into the city centre.

‘The local centre on Comiston Road is accessible in a 16-minute walk or 13-minute bus journey via Lothian Service number 11.

‘The continued residential use on-site will help support these local facilities.’

One neighbour said: ‘Are they seriously suggesting lottery winners will be getting the bus into town?

‘People with that kind of money will be cruising the city in a Ferrari, not waiting in a draughty bus shelter on Lothian Road.

‘To claim that multi-millionaires will be supporting local bus services is a joke.’

Edinburgh-based architect Richard Murphy said: ‘I’m delighted that the committee passed this unanimously.’

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