A POPULAR Lochgelly pub will be allowed to serve alcohol outdoors after the Fife Licensing Board approved an application.

The board approved a number of applications for on and off-sales following a meeting on Monday April, 19.

The West End Bar of Main Street, Lochgelly has been granted a change of opening hours allowing it to open at 10am Monday to Saturday and 11am on Sundays, and to add outdoor drinking during core opening hours.

The capacity of the venue has also been expanded from 80 to 100, and young persons have been permitted to access the premises.

Elsewhere, Brew Shed Beers of Forthview Industrial Estate, Valleyfield, Dunfermline and The Haberdashery Bar of New Row, Dunfermline have been granted provisional premises licenses.

Town House Deli & Bakery of High Street, Falkland; Hannah Whisky Merchants of West Way, Dalgety Bay; House of Gin of Bruce Street, Dunfermline; and Falside Mill of Kingsbarns, St Andrews have been granted full premises licenses.

Three licensed businesses have been granted major variations to their existing permits by the board.

The Tavern of Brodick Road, Kirkcaldy has been given permission to serve bar meals to patrons.

The Caledonian Craft Beer Merchant of Maygate, Dunfermline has been granted a variation for online off-sales and deliveries, and the manufacture and sale of ice cream.

Each of these decisions was made by the licensing board based on written submissions, prior to the meeting at Fife House in Glenrothes.

Elsewhere, businessman Tanveer Ahmed secured a provisional off-sales licence for his new Premier store on Mercer Place in Dunfermline. The grocers opened last year on the site of the Touch pub and later a One Stop convenience store and has been trading with occasional licenses.

The bid for a licence had been met with opposition from a single local objector, who had aired concerns over anti-social behaviour stemming from the sale of alcohol at the shop.

However, Gordon Emslie, representing Mr Ahmed at the meeting, said his client had run another store in Falkirk for 11 years and had met with the objector to allay their fears. The application was then approved unanimously.