A HELENSBURGH pub owner has been given the go-ahead to install a beer garden at his premises – despite concerns from neighbours over noise pollution.

John Rapallini’s application for planning permission for the garden at the rear of the Clyde Bar in West Clyde Street was granted by Argyll and Bute Council officials last week.

And Mr Rapallini says he hopes to have the garden – in the space currently occupied by a drying green – ready for use within weeks.

“We hope to get it started this week,” he said, “and we’re looking at two or three weeks to get it finished.

“We’re still deciding on how to lay it out, but we’ve got the basic idea for how it will look.”

Mr Rapallini’s application attracted five objections from members of the public – all of them living close to the Clyde Bar.

One, John Street resident Amy Curley, called it “an unnecessary addition to the town”.

In her objection to the council, she said: “We already suffer from the noise from the beer garden in the Wetherspoons [the Henry Bell] and from noise outside our house at night coming from the bars close by.

“This beer garden will just add to this noise and disruption as it is unlikely to be controlled.”

Another objector, Neil Welsh, said: “The already high levels of noise will increase. I, on a regular basis, have to call the police as it is so disruptive.

“When purchased the Clyde Bar was a quiet restaurant, now it’s a pub with a two o’clock licence proposing a beer garden.”

Responding to those concerns, Mr Rapallini told the Advertiser: “We will be very strict in monitoring the noise. I’m a resident too, so I don’t want excess noise any more than anyone else.

“We have cameras on the premises and I will be keeping a close eye on it.

“It’s also only until 9.30pm so there won’t be any noise late at night.”

Meanwhile, there’s not-so-good news for the Clyde Bar on another front after it was announced the pub’s live music gigs are to be scaled back due to a lack of public support.

A social media post by the Glasgow band Blues Mama, who were due to play at the pub on September 2, stated that the gig had been cancelled and called on the Helensburgh public to support live music in the area.

Mr Rapallini said: “We’ve had some really good bands in, Blues Mama being one, but unfortunately the support hasn’t been there.

“It kind of mirrors what happened with the Argyll Gathering – they cancelled their festival because of lack of ticket sales, and although we’re not pulling the plug altogether we will be scaling back quite considerably.

“We thought the time was right to go from DJs to live music but unfortunately it hasn’t worked.

“I’m not quite sure why – a lot of live music venues in Glasgow, for example, are quite busy.

“Perhaps people just prefer to go for a night out in the town to see a band rather than stay in Helensburgh.”