Camelon pub beer garden plans withdrawn even though it is already in place

Plans to create a beer garden at a popular pub have now been withdrawn despite the fact the facility has already been built and has been in place for almost a year.
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The Union Inn 2018 Ltd lodged a retrospective planning application with Falkirk Council on June 11 last year to form an outdoor seating area/beer garden, including a reoofed enclosure for the Union Inn, Portdownie, Camelon.

The plans were withdrawn on Wednesday, February 16.

Renovation work on the landmark pub, which sits beside Lock 16 on the Forth and Clyde Canal, had been going on throughout the early part of 2021 as the premise’s new co-directors Colin Clark and Forbes Dewar, who lease the historic building from Scottish Canals, looked to re-open it.

The Union Inn at Portdownie in CamelonThe Union Inn at Portdownie in Camelon
The Union Inn at Portdownie in Camelon
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The beer garden has been one of the most noticeable changes, as it is located to the front of the premises and features artificial turf, decked areas and picnic benches as well as COVID-19-safe pods, with self-contained areas for small groups.At the time Mr Clark said: "Hopefully, it will bring some regeneration to the area because it has been neglected for a number of years. The interior will be finished very soon, and the beer garden just a few weeks after that and then we'll be ready to open as soon as we're allowed to.

"We've done a lot of work and it will look very different but we've also tried to make sure that everything is in keeping with its heritage. We've kept the original bar and we've not torn away any original features – we've kept them and tried to highlight them the best we can.”

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