A PUB'S plan to extend its beer garden in an upmarket conservation area of Glasgow's West End has sparked a row.

Owners of the Rock in Hyndland have been given the go-ahead to raise a terrace and triple the size of the seating area.

But the proposal has been slammed by the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland.

The bar, in Hyndland Road, already has a large beer garden catering for around 35 customers.

Its Hertfordshire-based owners the Orchid Group now plan to extend the outside drinking area up to the pavement to cater for 114 customers.

But in its objection, the Architectural Heritage Society said: "The pub is in an outstanding residential conservation area and in one of its most sensitive and distinguished locations. The proposal is inappropriate, incongruous and over-commercialised."

The pub group first applied for planning permission to fit raised decking in September. That application was refused by councillors because it failed to take account of the prominence of the site and the historic character of the Glasgow West conservation area.

Councillors gave the go-ahead to the extended terrace yesterday after pub owners ditched the decking for charcoal-coloured "courtstone" paving.

Audrey Gardner, case officer of the Strathclyde branch of the Architectural Heritage Society, today described the plans as "excessive".

But Laurie Cuffe, licensee at the Rock, said: "It's a cafe society we now have, and people love being outside.

"We try to police the outside area in the same way as we police the inside of the bar, and we close the garden down at 10pm.

"It should be an asset to the community, because it's quite hard to find somewhere to sit outside in Glasgow."