A MAJOR pub chain which is setting up in Colne has re-launched controversial plans for a beer garden.

National chain J D Wetherspoon was granted planning permission to turn the former Original Greek Restaurant, Church Street, Colne, back into a pub only after it shelved proposals for a terrace and beer garden at the back.

A condition was placed on the permission to ban any customers drinking outside the building.

But a new application to remove that condition, reviving the beer garden plan, will go before Pendle Council's Colne and District Committee on Thursday, and has been recommended for approval by planning officers.

Granting the original permission two months ago, leader of the council Alan Davies said he was against the idea of more pubs in the town centre, but had no choice but to allow the application because the building had originally been The King's Head pub.

But planning manager Neil Watson said in his report to councillors that pubs were a feature of town centres and potential noise and disturbance could be controlled by planning and licensing conditions.

He suggested that the outside patio area should be closed after 10pm to help protect neighbours from late-night problems, and that self-closing doors would reduce noise from the pub.

Walton Street resident Matthew Gordon, who objected to the pub originally, said he was unhappy bosses were trying to alter the conditions.

He said: "Those decisions were made in June to address the problems we had with the idea of a beer garden and we thought that was that.

"There seems to be quite a lot of places now where people want to have these things, partly because of the smoking ban. It's an issue for a lot of people and these things need to be addressed through the planning system.

"I don't think it's right that they can come back and try to change it all now."

Councillors will make their decision at the meeting of the Colne committee on Thursday at 7pm at the town hall, Albert Road.