PLANNING permission has been granted to create short-term holiday lets at a wedding venue near Helensburgh.

Fruin Farm, just off the A818 at the Crosskeys roundabout, operated as a restaurant for five years before owners Wayne and Rebecca Cleworth decided at the start of 2020 to close that side of the business and operate solely as an intimate wedding venue.

The couple revealed plans four months ago to turn a garage and dwelling at the site into self-catering accommodation and to replace a summer house with a holiday cabin – and those plans have now been approved by the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority.

A report on the decision states: “The business has operated as a restaurant for over five years and now wishes to diversify by becoming a wedding/events venue (which will be subject of a separate application).

“One of the courtyard wings of the house is proposed to be converted into two small self-contained self-catering units.

READ MORE: Helensburgh restaurateurs plan wedding and conference venue for former church hall

“This will result in the loss of a garage (currently used for storage) and a bedroom/living area used as staff accommodation.

“An area on the ground floor with its own separate entrance will, however, be retained as staff accommodation and the applicant has indicated that the business will be managed both remotely and from the staff accommodation.

“The proposals for three small self-catering units can be considered a small scale expansion of an existing tourism business and, overall, the proposals will comply with Visitor Experience Policy 1 of the Local Development Plan.

“The principle of the development is supported as it relates to the small scale expansion of an existing tourism business - and is supported by the spatial development strategy of the National Park Local Development Plan.

“The proposal raises no landscape or amenity issues and, overall, the proposal would be consistent with the aims of the Park and deliver a development that will provide a high quality visitor experience whilst protecting the natural heritage of the area.”