A WINDOW row in a Borders village has been closed after revised plans for a four bedroom property were rubber-stamped.

Planning approval was granted for a house south of Abbotsford at Gattonside  in November 2018, and the property is currently under construction and is nearing completion.

But two additional windows have been added to the east and west facing elevations which were not part of the original planning application – a move which riled neighbours.

Residents adjacent to the development raised objections to the extra windows amid concern that they would result in a loss of privacy.

Melrose and District Community Council had supported the residents objecting to the new application.

A spokesperson said: “There is a strong feeling among residents adjacent to the plot against this retrospective application.

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“Not only does the application seem to be rather gratuitous as the room involved would have daylight anyway, but the repositioning involves detriment to neighbouring properties, which would be avoided by following the original design.

“Several of us feel that retrospective applications often are made to achieve an outcome for the developer which would not have been allowed under the original approval, and so should be refused in principle.”

However, Scottish Borders Council’s planning officers deemed that the additional windows would have a “neutral” impact on the conservation area and not result in a loss of privacy.

A retrospective application for the additional windows was given the green light by members of the council’s Planning and Building Standards Committee on Monday (June 13).

They did recommend that the bathroom window on the east facing elevation be fitted with opaque glass and that it remains permanently fixed shut.

Tweeddale East councillor Marshall Douglas, of the SNP, said: “I can’t really see any issue with it as long as that bathroom window is opaque, which protects the privacy of the building itself and also neighbours.”