Plans for a budget hotel next to the The Poachers in Chirk have been approved.

Pub and restaurant chain Marstons has been granted planning permission by Shropshire Council to build a 26-bedroom hotel in Chirk Road, which will create up to 10 full and part-time positions.

The two-storey building will also include an additional 30 carparking spaces and changes made to the existing beer garden and play area.

Plans for the hotel were supported by Weston Rhyn Parish Council, despite some concerns about the nearby World Heritage Site and the protection of wildlife in the area.

However Wrexham County Borough Council also submitted a letter on behalf of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Group, which stated: “The sense of arrival into the World Heritage Site has not been considered within the applications, and the particular rural character need to be considered within the proposed design.”

An amendment to the planning application saw conservation office Elizabeth Mee state: “The proposal is considered to be sufficiently refined to constitute an acceptable change to setting, preserving the significance of designated and non-designated heritage assets.”

The recommendations state the finish of work better reflects the significance of the site and would be a of a similar character to the historic inn.