An artisan micropub has been given the go ahead to double the size of its beer garden despite claims desperate customers used a wall as an outdoor toilet.
The operators of the Station Yard pub, Dunbar, applied for a licence to increase its outside space for customers, increasing its capacity from 80 to 120 customers.
However a virtual meeting of East Lothian Licensing Board was told the extended beer garden, which is already operating under Covid relaxation rules, served a pub which has just one toilet.
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Community councillor Jacquie (CORR) Bell told the meeting that residents living in a street at the back of the pub, had complained about noise, litter and antisocial behaviour.
She said the pub which is described as an artisan premises offering craft drinks, had been taken over by new management.
She said:: "The pub was initially very small and very quiet and residents had no issue.
"Since the change over there have been incidents of noise and because there is only one toilet there are incidents of people urinating against the wall at the back."
Concerns were also raised about the pub using a neighbouring building which was formerly home to a surf club as a storage area and extending onto land which was owned by Network Rail.
David McKinnon, from the pub told the meeting that the additional building and land was being used under a lease agreement between owners and the premises, which has been in place since late last year.
And he said he was unaware of issues with neighbours pledging to work with them in the future.
The pub was granted an extension to its licence to cover the additional beer garden, which is in the process of applying for planning permission and extension of weekend opening hours from 11pm to 1am and 11pm to midnight on Sundays.
Licence board member Lachlan Bruce urged pub bosses to work with neighbours.
Councillor Bruce said: "The issues highlighted are important and I would ask the guys running the pub to take them on board and make sure communication is improved.
"With outdoor premises it is about making sure they are managed properly."
