A DISABLED woman faces eviction from her caravan home on farmland near Selkirk.

When members of Scottish Borders Council’s (SBC) Local Review Body met on Monday last week they considered a request for a review of refusal in respect of the siting of a caravan for residential use at Westfields in Midlem.

The applicant purchased the land as a smallholding on the basis that they would be able to reside in a mobile home on the site, as the previous owner had done for many years.

But they were unaware that ‘personal permission’ granted to the previous owner was not transferable to them.

As a result enforcement action was launched by SBC with the requirement for the applicant to vacate the site.

The applicant, who has lived in the caravan for five years, is registered disabled and suffers from a combination of serious long-term health conditions.

They had chosen to purchase the land specifically to help manage these conditions and improve their quality of life.

Review board members agreed to the applicant’s request for a personal hearing before a final decision is made.

East Berwickshire councillor Aileen Orr said: “I understand the history of this, but they have been there or such a long time and I am concerned about anybody being evicted from their home, especially in the Borders.

“We do have a housing crisis, we can’t get away from that.”

Tweeddale West councillor Viv Thomson added: “There is a lot at stake with this application as this could result in an eviction. We’re in the position we’re in because the conditions applied to the previous applicant haven’t been upheld.

“When they were no longer resident then the caravan should have been removed at that point, but that hasn’t happened.”