PLANS for a new beer garden at Larkhall’s Machan Vaults have been approved by councillors.

South Lanarkshire Council’s planning committee agreed on Tuesday, December 1, to grant a three-year temporary permission for the beer garden which will help aid social distancing.

The plans will see a 30m2 garden created at the rear of the pub with seating for 16 people.

Bernard Darroch, planning and building standards manager, told the committee that the garden would be “enclosed by acoustic fencing” and that it would be “monitored by CCTV”.

He added that there were “no objections from consultees” but that “seven representations were received” from members of the public.

Concerns for increased noise, a loss of privacy, road safety and that the beer garden would be “far too close” to neighbouring homes were raised by local residents.

Although the Machan Vaults is a “lawfully licensed premises”, officers concluded it “can be viewed as a non-conforming land use” as it is surrounded by houses.

As a result, the “residential amenity” of surrounding properties must “must take account of the existence of the public house and cannot be to the same degree, level or extent as that associated with a house in a residential estate divorced from non-residential uses”.

The council’s Environmental Services raised no objection to the proposals provided conditions were imposed that the beer garden be used no later than 9pm, that an “acoustic fence” is put up to help dampen noise disturbance for neighbours and that the consent only be granted for three years.

No objections were raised by the road’s department as the beer garden is an “additional facility” and it was “debatable” whether it would result in extra traffic.

Mr Darroch added that a further planning application would have to be submitted if the Machan Vaults wished to use the beer garden after the three-year period and that any issues over that period could be considered then.