Harry Potter’s creator, in the process of refurbishing a period house in the suburbs of Edinburgh which she bought at the end of last year, is so far prevailing in her plan to create a new three-bedroom building in the grounds as well as kennels to be situated outside the main house. A nearby resident lodged an objection against the kennels on the grounds of excessive noise but was overruled by planning chiefs who fast-tracked the application. One of her new neighbours, who asked not to be named, said: “The application has been kept pretty hush-hush. The whole property is shielded by large hedges so you can’t really see where this new property would be but, seemingly, it will partly accommodate security guards and guard dogs.” Rowling, who bought the property in the west of the city for around £2 million, is thought to have been attracted by the house’s secluded surroundings. The plans never came before councillors, and were instead approved by officials under “delegated powers”. Work on the new building, which will replace a garage block, is expected to begin within months, once an archaeological survey of the site has been carried out. The council’s report on the plans for the property acknowledges that an objection had been lodged about the kennels but stated: “Potential noise from barking dogs is not an issue that can be controlled under planning legislation.” Rowling, who has three children, will move to the new house from their former home in the Merchiston area of Edinburgh, known as “Writer’s Row” as Ian Rankin and Alexander McCall Smith lived nearby. Neighbours there protested eight years ago when the author submitted plans to raise the height of the boundary walls and install security cameras. The author, notoriously careful about her privacy. also has a country estate on the banks of the Tay and a house in London’s Kensington area with 24-hour security.