RAISING the roof in Low Valleyfield has led to enforcement action by Fife Council.
And it could mean the owner paying a high price to reinstate a category B listed property after councillors backed planning officers in refusing planning permission.
Sally-Anne Featherstone had submitted two applications to the council for Westend Cottage, on Main Street, which included two new extensions, a replacement roof and windows, the partial demolition of boundary walls, the formation of new openings and internal alterations.
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However, at the west and central planning committee last week, council planner Emma Baxter said "unconsented works" have already taken place with the roof removed and walls partly knocked down.
And the redevelopment plans were refused by councillors, and enforcement action supported, in the "interests of preserving the character and historical integrity" of the 18th century cottage.
A report to the committee said the cottage dates back to the 1750s although it underwent significant works in the 1980s.
Consent was granted earlier this year for some works at the property, including the removal of two single storey extensions at the property.
Ms Baxter said: "Whilst it is acknowledged that the property did have two previous extensions they were much smaller in scale and that meant they weren't readily visible from the surrounding area."
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She said the applicant's plans were for two-storey extensions which would be "much larger".
The committee was told that Historic Environment Scotland and the council's built heritage officer were supportive, "in principle", of the building being refurbished but neither supported the current plans "due to concerns over the scale and massing of the two extensions which would be considered to significantly detract from the cottage as the B listed structure".
Ms Baxter added that there was "an enforcement case ongoing at the moment".
Cllr Derek Glen said: "The building as it stands at the moment is in a sorry state and nowhere near what it was when it was given its listed status."
The two applications, for planning permission and listed building consent, were unanimously refused by the committee.
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