A resourceful couple invested £12,000 to acquire a small parcel of land in front of their house from the council, intending to ‘expand their garden and shield their property.’ This move, however, has irked locals who believe the couple’s true motive is to boost the property’s value. 

Christopher Slater, 57, and his wife Diane, 59, own a country house set within 11 acres of private grounds, just south of Haddington.

Christopher and Diane, operators of Glen Appin in Scotland—a business renowned for its Harris Tweed bags and accessories—currently have their house and a cottage in the area listed for sale at £2.5 million.

Their acquisition of 2850 sqm of garden land at Inglisfield from the council has sparked discussions among neighbors and nearby villagers.

While some ponder how the couple managed to secure what was once public land, others deem their decision trivial, suggesting that owning the land has little impact on their lifestyle, especially in such a secluded locale.

The details of their sale were documented in a recent document lodged with the Members library of East Lothian.

Prior to the purchase, it was stated: ‘Mr & Mrs Slater have been renting the land since 2005 to use as garden ground and to provide a buffer for their property from the main road.’

They currently have 79 years left on a 99 year lease. The passing rent is £600 pa.

The notice further explained: ‘In response to a recent rent review, they opted to buy the land outright rather than continue with the rental agreement.’

Due to ground conditions and burns that run through the land this land is not suitable for grazing or development and due to the remote location, there is little to no market demand for this land.’

In the report, lodged during summer recess, elected members were told that their head of infrastructure approved the sale.

It also acknowledged that while the council will receive £12,000 which will be transferred into its trading account, it does lose the £600 it would have continued to receive in rent for a further 79 years in the deal.

Locals in the area had a mixed response to news that the Slaters were able to purchase the land in front of their home.

One said: ‘The road is blocked off there now so it’s just a bit of useless land.’

And a second said: ‘It’s a bit snobby. It must be because they are selling it. That would make sense. I’m sure that’ll push the price up now.’

Another local said the piece of land purchased was of no use to anyone so it was a bit of a surprise they bought it.

He added: ‘That’s the old road. That doesn’t go anywhere. When they chopped the road off, probably about 40 years ago,it became redundant. It’s no longer been used. It’s a useless piece of land.

‘It’s a nice driveway. And that road, nobody will miss it or anything like that. Nobody walks along it and goes, ‘oh, they can’t walk on it now anyway’. You can walk where the bl***y h** you want in Scotland. The owners are very nice people though.’

Others suggested the move was savvy from a business point of view.

He said: ‘It’s not up to the council to use it as a ransom strip, a very small piece of land that belongs to somebody else, something with relative value that they’re withholding.

‘The Slaters paid £12,000. The going rate is about six grand an acre just now. It will probably assist the sale of the house, so it’s a business move.

‘Not everyone will be ok with that. It might actually mean that they can demand more when they sell it.’

Another questioned: ‘I can’t see it affecting the main road. The council suit themselves. Has it been advertised before the decision? – I didn’t know about it. The council are always doing mad things.

‘If no more property is being built on it then it might be ok. If there were planning permission that would be one helluva bargain. Was this on the open market?’