OPENING hours at a Saltcoats beer garden could be extended after the pub's owner applied to remove "extremely frustrating" restrictions.

Elms Bar was granted permission last January for the formation of a beer garden with a number of conditions – including a limitation on operating times on Saturdays.

The Raise Street pub was ordered to limit opening hours of the beer garden to 4.30pm-10pm on Saturdays to minimise noise disturbance to the neighbouring health centre and nearby residential properties.

However, an appeal by the applicants resulted in that decision being overturned.

Now, Joseph Fitzpatrick is seeking to amend the conditions again to allow the beer garden to open from 1pm-10pm Monday-Friday.

Mr Fitzpatrick said the beer garden has been "a great success" over the last year but the restriction on weekday opening times has been "extremely frustrating".

In a supporting statement lodged with North Ayrshire Council's planning department, he said: "[We are] having to turn customers away on a sunny afternoon asking them to return at 6pm, which evidently they do not, which in turn has a negative impact on the business.

"The vast majority of my customers are elderly who are looking to use the beer garden in the afternoon for a coffee and a read at the paper.

"As a retired police officer, I have been very proactive in the operation of the beer garden along with both my staff and manageress and will continue to do so.

"My request for the change in opening hours would have both a positive impact on the business earning capacity during these extremely difficult times for the hospitality trade and also would be well received by our customers."

He added that he would have no objection to a further 12-month monitoring period should council planning chiefs deem that condition necessary.

Concerns were previously raised over the impact the beer garden might have on visitors to Saltcoats Health Centre and the consultation rooms within the practice.

The documents submitted with the application include a copy of an email from the North Ayrshire health and social care partnership's community services locality coordinator confirming that there have been "no issues or concerns raised" over the use of the beer garden since it opened.

Mr Fitzpatrick added that there have been no police callouts to the bar in the last year.