PLANS to set up a meat drying and processing facility in a residential street in Helensburgh have been approved - but only temporarily.

Anton Erlank's plans to produce two South African delicacies, biltong and droewors, in the garage at his home in Colgrain's Marmion Avenue were given permission by Argyll and Bute Council's planning committee on Wednesday.

But the permission only lasts for 12 months - in which time council officials will monitor noise, smell and traffic levels to see whether concerns expressed by nearby residents are justified.

Twelve objectors complained that the proposed development is inappropriate for a residential area, will attract vermin, will cause unpleasant smells and will cause unacceptable levels of noise and traffic.

Some objectors also said that giving the green light to Mr Erlank's application would set a bad precedent by paving the way for other industrial applications in a quiet residential area of the town.

In her assessment of the application, council planning officer Stephanie Spreng said: “The determining issue in this application is whether or not this form of development is acceptable at this location and if the development will harm the amenity of the area.

“Consultations with the council’s environmental health manager and the area roads manager have resulted in a 'no objections' response.

“It is considered that the scale of the development, the nature of the proposal and the preparation methods will raise no issues with regards to the residential amenity of neighbouring properties or the surrounding area.

“It is therefore considered that the proposal is acceptable and in accordance with Local Development Plan policies.

“The proposal to change the use of a residential garage (Class 9) to a small scale food preparation and drying facility (Class 4) is acceptable.

“The scale of the development, the nature of the proposal and the preparation methods will raise no issues with regards to the residential amenity of neighbouring properties or the surrounding area.”

In a statement supporting his application, Mr Erlank said his wife would be employed on a part-time basis initially, with the potential to expand to a full-time operation for the couple, but that he did not expect to employ more people for as long as the business is run from the garage.

He said: “I will aim to collect meat from local producers and/or supermarkets as far as possible. Should deliveries of meat be necessary, I don’t expect it to happen more than twice a week or that a delivery will take up more than 15 minutes.

“I will communicate to customers that I would prefer to deliver products to them in order to limit vehicle movement at the proposed site.

Mr Erlank also said no equipment likely to be heard by neighbours would be used before 9am or after 5pm, and that he did not expect noise or smells to have a significant impact on the neighbourhood because of the curing process used and the special design of the drying room.

Biltong are slices of meat (beef or venison) that have been cut into strips, cured, then hung to dry.

Droewors are a South African dried sausage made from lamb and beef or venison and a mixture of herbs and spices, then hung to dry.