A SCHEME for the change of use of the land to rear of the Garway Moon Inn to allow for a new accommodation building, has been approved by Herefordshire Planners.

The Ramessar family, which owns the popular pub, plan to provide four additional rooms with ensuites, of which one will be wheelchair accessible.

In addition the building will have a common room, and a manager’s office.

The Garway Moon currently has three existing ensuite bedrooms for guests situated on the first floor of the pub. The rooms are all offered as bed and breakfast accommodation and enjoy good levels of occupancy throughout the year,

Since the Ramessar family purchased the freehold of the pub, they have successfully developed all elements of the pub, but in particular, the occupation of the bed and breakfast rooms has become exceptional for such a rural pub. ,

The owners’ attribute a lot of the success to being the only venue in the area that offers bed and breakfast and they felt that it would be possible to expand in a controlled and proportional way, and maximise the good reputation it has built up.

The publicans state that by offering four additional guest rooms it would also enable the Garway Moon to widen the scope of its offerings.

The new building would be situated on a pre-existing developed area, which is predominantly concrete with existing hardstanding that can support the building of a two-storey timber frame, timber clad accommodation unit.

The building has been designed with an apex roof, timber cladding, which is in keeping with the local landscape characteristic. There is a similar looking modern timber clad house built in the last 10 years, situated only a few metres from the pub car park.

The owners state that the proposed building would not be invasive within its surrounding landscape and it has been sensitively designed to blend into the local landscape and village area.

Garway Parish Councillors noted that the original plans proposed using the pub's car park to accommodate four additional car parking spaces but were later pleased to find out that extra car parking within the boundary of his property would be found.

The councillors also requested that because of the possible impact of the new accommodation would have on dark skies, that no permanent lighting is installed and only use down lighting where necessary.

Planning officer Tracey Meachen observed that the public house is an established building which has been subject of a number of extensions in the past and concluded: “The application site is considered an appropriate location for holiday let use and would provide a modest increase in the tourism provision within this area.

“There are no objections to the proposal and no material considerations have been raised which would otherwise lead to a refusal of the application.

“It is considered that there will be no adverse impact on neighbouring amenity, highway safety, or on the existing ecology of the area. The recommendation is therefore to approve.”