CONTROVERSIAL plans for a new distillery on the shores of Loch Lomond to be licensed past midnight will be considered by councillors next week.
Plans for the Loch Lomond Group’s distillery and visitor centre at the former Luss Smokehouse building on Church Road were approved by National Park chiefs in December.
But 11 objections have been received by the Argyll and Bute Licensing Board to its bid for an on sales licence until 1am on Friday and Saturday, and until midnight on the five other days of the week.
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority has made a submission, and a letter of support has also been received from Patrick Colquhoun of Luss Estates.
The licensing board will rule on the application for a provisional premises licence at its meeting on Tuesday, February 25.
A National Park spokesperson said: “We note that the applicant has indicated that the following activities or services may be provided on the premises: conferences, bar meals, receptions, club or group meetings, recorded music, live performance, dance facilities, films, televised sport and outdoor drinking facilities.
“We would remind the applicant that although they may be able to have some of these activities/services on the site, they would have to remain small scale and ancillary to the overall approved use as a distillery and warehouse with ancillary retail, restaurant and visitor centre.
“A further planning application may be required if the planning authority considered ther use of the site had departed from that granted.
“Planning permission has not been given for a public house, bar or events venue, although we accept that it would be reasonable for a distillery to have some level of alcohol sales as part of the ancillary retail and visitor experience permitted.”
The representation from Luss Community Council said: “The main areas of concern are that the licenced hours of on sales and off sales applied for bear no relation to the operation that was outlined to the community by the applicants previously.
“Residents’ expectations are that the development operates between 10am and 6pm, outside of which the village residents will have some respite from the huge numbers of visitors who can often overwhelm the village infrastructure (circa 750,000 visitors with circa 200 village residents).
“We have a particularly difficult anti-social aspect in Luss during peak visitor times, with the congregation of groups in and around the pier area and the village (involving drinking, music, drugs, beach fires, fighting, litter etc) which already severely and detrimentally impacts the quality of life for our residents.
“In our experience, businesses remaining open later simply encourages those groups to remain longer.
“We have recently had a traffic regulation order introduced to the village with paid for permit parking for residents, who often cannot park in those spaces due to visitors unauthorised parking.
“Late opening will inevitably encourage this unauthorised parking which is incredibly frustrating for those who live in the village and have paid their permit fees, but cannot park their cars close to their homes.”
The Loch Lomond Group has been contacted for comment.
