Lotto couple who abandoned Edinburgh mansion plans buy new East Lothian seaside home

A Scottish couple who planned to built a futuristic home in a plush Edinburgh neighbourhood after a family lottery win have decided to move to the seaside after ditching the plans.

Lisa and Craig Charters battled to demolish a Morningside bungalow and replace it with a three-storey millionaire mansion. Despite outcry from locals, they were awarded planning consent for the development.

However, after purchasing the home for £200,000 over the asking price, they walked away from their dream home and put it back on the market before any work was carried out.

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Now, the couple have moved further out of the city and plan to settle down in East Lothian after purchasing another dreamy modern home overlooking the sea, reports the Scottish Sun.

The couple, from the Borders, came into a huge amount of money after Lisa's parents won a life-changing £33million and kindly split their winnings with her.

Records reportedly show that the couple acquired the impressive £2.9million pad in East Lothian in November, boasting a double-height hall and dining area with a built-in wine store.

The kitchen has top-of-the-range appliances, including three ovens and another wine chiller. One property expert said: “The couple have made a marvellous choice in locating to this seaside super spot. It’s as if they have hit the jackpot again.”

After purchasing their initial project in Morningside for £875,000, the couple ended up cutting their loses and put it back on the market for just £5,000 more.

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One neighbour said: "None of us was best pleased with the proposed mansion – there were 63 letters of objection sent to the council.

“But we certainly expected work to have started before now. It’s such a shame because it is a perfectly-good home being left empty. Local people now call it The Little House on the Prairie.”

During the planning process, council officials upset neighbours by claiming that the retention of housing on the site would produce a public transport benefit.

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Their document stated: “The continued residential use on-site will help support these local facilities.”

One neighbour raged: "Are they seriously suggesting lottery winners will be getting the bus into town?

“People with that kind of money will be cruising the city in a Ferrari, not waiting in a draughty bus shelter on Lothian Road.”

Their architect Richard Murphy said at the time: “It’s not to do with cost or neighbours. They’ve just had a change of mind."