A RURAL hotelier says he is “delighted and relieved” by Monday’s decision to let him keep a 30-foot static caravan in a secluded wooded area close to his business.

Alistair Moody, of Tibbie Shiels Inn on the western shore of St Mary’s Loch, was commenting after Scottish Borders Council’s local review body agreed to grant him planning consent for the mobile home for the next 10 years.

In January, he was faced with the prospect of having to remove the green caravan, which has been in place for five years and is used for seasonal accommodation by hotel staff, after his bid for retrospective planning permission was refused by senior planning officer Dorothy Amyes.

Objections to Mr Moody’s application had come from neighbouring St Mary’s Loch Sailing Club and Ettrick and Yarrow Community Council, the former expressing flooding concerns over the caravan’s septic tank and the latter claiming it could set a precedent for similar random sitings of permanent caravans in the area.

Ms Amyes concluded that the economic case for the caravan had not been established and that it did not respect the character of the area.

Mr Moody appealed and in June the council’s review body, comprising nine councillors, deferred a decision pending further submissions from the interested parties.

On Monday, only one such submission – from Mr Moody – was tabled. He claimed a caravan had been on the site since 1982 when former hotel owner Danny Costello had purchased it from the Megget Dam project and, since then, everyone who had lived there had been on the inn’s payroll.

He explained that the current occupants where the full-time chef and his barmaid/cleaner wife who resided there five days a week with their autistic son. And he revealed that, over the last two winters, the caravan had been home to a bailiff with St Mary’s Angling Club.

“With regard to the future, I intend to continue to use the caravan for staff accommodation with perhaps a look at short-term holiday accommodation,” wrote Mr Moody.

“I have no intention of renting it long term to anyone who isn’t working for or benefiting the business.” The review body granted consent for a period not exceeding 10 years and on condition that occupation is limited to hotel staff or for short-term holiday lets.

“I’m delighted and relieved, especially as my staff will not be made homeless at our busiest time of the year,” said Mr Moody after the meeting.