Couple told to bulldoze £650,000 mansion they built without permission ask if they can convert it into two separate homes instead

Published: 12:17, 14 May 2026 | Updated: 12:17, 14 May 2026 A couple who were told to bulldoze a £650,000 mansion they built without permission have applied to convert it into two separate homes. David and Dawn Allan built the huge villa in their hometown of Gorebridge, Midlothian, but were embroiled in a row after falling foul of planning laws. They applied for permission for the development in 2018 after flattening an existing building on the site.  The pair, who run a successful coach company, submitted plans and started construction work but were left stunned when they were refused retrospective planning. Officials said a 'hipped' roof over the top of garages at the house was 'detrimental' to the local area and should be removed. The Allans pleaded for extra time to remedy issues with the property and insisted a building warrant being issued gave them the green light. However, they were then hit with an enforcement notice warning them to make changes or demolish the property by summer 2023 and missed deadlines to try and overturn the decision. The couple have now lodged plans to transform the mansion into two properties. David and Dawn Allan built the huge villa in their hometown of Gorebridge, Midlothian, but were embroiled in a row after falling foul of planning laws The pair, who run a successful coach company, submitted plans and started construction work but were left stunned when they were refused retrospective planning (Pictured: Dawn and David with their children) Plans show the proposed layout of their home laid out in retrospective planning permission documents which the council refused Officials said a 'hipped' roof over the top of garages at the house was 'detrimental' to the local area and should be removed Each of the new homes would have four double bedrooms, an integrated garage and open plan areas with 'expansive views'. A planning statement on their behalf said: 'With the proposal now for two semi-detached properties on the site, the proposal represents an improvement on both the previous and the consented single dwellings with the 'plot' width and area more in line with the neighbouring dwellings rather than a single dwelling on a generous site and still more generous than the new build plots to the east.' The couple previously said they faced bills of more than £100,000 to alter plans and had already spent £16,000 in fees during their doomed development battle. Midlothian Council will issue a decision on the new plans in due course. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.