Extension and community garden plans approved for popular Shawlands restaurant

A restaurant in Shawlands has been granted permission for a two-storey extension and community garden, which replaces plans to create “the Southside equivalent of Ashton Lane”.

The owner of ORO on Kilmarnock Road previously secured council approval for the transformation of a courtyard behind the venue, with space for a restaurant, cafe and shops.

However, Domenico Crolla’s new plan, which has now been approved by council planners, will see an extension, with an upper floor terrace, to the current building.

There will also be a “sustainability garden” used by the restaurant and a “community garden”.

Council planners said the project “seeks to create a unique offering” in Shawlands. “The proposal is for the extension of an existing and long established restaurant within Shawlands town centre.

“The expansion of this business would enhance and improve the vitality and viability of the town centre, generating additional footfall to the town centre.”

They added: “The land to the rear of the restaurant is currently overgrown, poorly maintained and shows signs of fly tipping. The proposal would landscape this area, creating a “sustainability garden” for the restaurant and a second larger one for the community.”

Previous plans for the site, submitted pre-pandemic, were approved in 2021, and included a mixed-use development with three of four different businesses operating.

At the time, the vision was to create “the South Side equivalent of Ashton Lane in the West End”. Planning officials described the new proposal as “a relatively small scale extension”.

One objection and two neutral comments were received by the council, raising points on noise, outdoor seating and privacy.

A condition has been attached to ensure no outdoor seating, in the gardens and on the terrace, and planners decided the terrace “would be sufficiently far away from windows of habitable rooms”.

Parking has been reduced to three spaces for staff use only.