A "nano-brewery" in Biddulph has been granted permission to expand with the sale of beers on site and a seating area for customers to enjoy their drinks.

Biddulph Nub News reported previously how a planning application to install a new "nano-brewery" on a Biddulph industrial estate was granted approval.

The brewery, which has now been named Hoplab, is located on Forge Way at unit 3D of the Brown Lees Road industrial estate in Biddulph.

Following a successful planning application last year the district council gave permission for a small-scale brewery with "a brew room used for the production of ales, including mashing of barley, boiling wort, fermenting the brew in sealed tanks, and then conditioning the product in tanks and kegs".

But a new planning application was then submitted, along with a licensing application that sought permission to serve beers to customers on site and expand the brewery with a customer seating area.

A planning statement submitted as part of the application stated: "Following a recent application for a premises licence it has been deemed by the Local Planning Authority that the area put forward for a licence exceeded the extent of floorspace on the previously approved plans and would allow for the sale of beer on the site and customers to visit, and thus considered to be in breach of the planning consent. This revised application has been submitted to resolve that matter.

"This revised proposal encompasses a larger area associated with the nano-brewery. It includes the originally approved 17.2 square metres of floorspace, along with an additional 48.3 square metres of floorspace that is to be used as a seating area where customers can drink alcohol prepared on the premises, as well as an ancillary storage area for grain, brewing equipment and materials."

In another piece of good news for the nano-brewery, the latest plans have now been approved by the district council.

A decision report by the council states: "Compatible small scale business diversification on an established employment site within the town of Biddulph.

"With exploration, consultation and discussion of the issues it can be concluded that the introduction of a customer seating area and some tasting and drinking uses, would not bring with it adverse impacts in respect of highway or amenity, that should prevent from the grant of a new planning permission that is differing or revised in its terms.

"A very similar permission to the one already permitted should be granted with a differing plans condition referencing the revised floor layout plan (that shows a customer seating area); a revised 'use' condition that clarifies customer tasting can be part of the permitted use; and an opening hours condition, as suggested by applicant to address highway concerns, limiting customer drinking activity to times that won't conflict with other commercial activity."