A DOUBLE garage built in the garden of a property in Prestonpans, and described as being the size of a small house, has been ordered to be torn down.

The structure, on Gardiner Crescent, was completed in December last year and subject to a retrospective planning application in January by applicant Yanka Ivanova.

It is constructed from a galvanised metal cladding, with two roller shutter doors for vehicles and a standard access door.

The construction had been described as a “domestic garage” in the application, but doubts were raised by Prestonpans Community Council as the building’s floor space was comparable to neighbouring houses.

However, East Lothian Council has rejected the application as a "form of unauthorised development", and the garage will now have to be removed, with the ground restored to its previous state.

The planning officer's report stated: "Due to the large size and scale of its galvanised steel finish, the garage appears industrial in character and is not in keeping with the size, scale and finish of the outbuildings in the rear gardens of other houses in the area.

"Instead, the garage building appears an overbearing, intrusive and incongruous feature inappropriate to and out of keeping with its setting in the rear garden of a domestic property.

"Therefore, due to its size, design and material, the garage has a detrimental impact on the character of the house and the character of the surrounding area."