The House of Bruar has been given the go-ahead for an expansion at its site in Highland Perthshire.
Bosses say 16 new jobs will be created when the luxury department store extends its warehouse and offices near Blair Atholl.
Councillors approved the move, despite objections from residents in nearby Pitagowan.
Locals raised concerns about odours, rats and the overall impact on life in the hamlet.
The two-floor extension will include a new food preparation area, office, welfare facilities and storage area on the ground floor.
Further office space, a staffroom, toilets and a product development space will be created on the first floor.
Councillors were told the extension would create four jobs in food production. Another 12 will be required for office-based administration work.
However, the House of Bruar plans generated eight objections from neighbours in Pitagowan.
One wrote: “This will create additional smells and wastage close to my property. I already have concerns about the number of rats and this will only increase.
“It will also result in frequent deliveries including night and early morning deliveries.”
Another claimed locals had to deal with human excrement left behind by visitors.
In their letter to the council, they wrote: “HoB [House of Bruar] is already a big very busy place encouraging lots of visitors which in turn create more rubbish, animal/human excrement, vermin and vehicle pollution.”
Objectors also raised concerns about noise, dust, increased traffic, the frequency of fire alarms at the site, the loss of trees and the loss of natural light.
House of Bruar boss dismisses concerns
House of Bruar boss Patrick Birkbeck addressed the planning and placemaking committee which met to consider the application.
He said: “I don’t really see there will be any risk of vermin. I would hope that we maintain the property in a suitable fashion.
“We employ pest control for all that sort of stuff and don’t really see that’s an issue.”
The managing director added: “We will have to have some extraction. But we cannot keep developing the site without some extra help for our catering facilities so I don’t see that there will be a pollution of smells.”
The application was agree unanimously, subject to conditions.
These included ensuring the footpath path leading from Pitagowan to the Falls of Bruar “must not be obstructed during the construction phase or on completion of the development”.
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