A PLAN to re-open the historic Cabin Restaurant by extending into an empty shop next door has been approved.

Glasgow City planners have allowed a change-of-use application for 1000 Dumbarton Road which will give space for kitchen, toilets and back-of-house accommodation.

The would-be operator had said their proposed coffee shop/bistro would only be viable if permission was given to knock through into the adjacent retail unit.

Whiteinch Community Council backed the plan saying it was widely welcomed and would meet a local need.

The eatery will have around 40 seats and be open 10am to 10pm.

The Cabin and its predecessors have existed at the site since the 1890s making it the oldest working restaurant in Glasgow until closure in 2015.

A statement submitted to planners had explained: “The applicant seeks to restore The Cabin to its original beauty to create a vibrant and much-needed social hub which is spacious, accessible and relevant to today’s clientele.

“The restaurant will have a bistro and coffee shop feel serving food and coffee throughout the day and evenings. Dumbarton Road, Whiteinch currently only has two working sit-in units — The Big Belly Deli and the Lotus Lebanese Restaurant.

“This means that Whiteinch is currently served by only two restaurants or cafes along this one mile stretch which is woefully inadequate in terms of community amenity. In contrast there is a huge predominance of Class 1 [retail] units.

“The applicant…has calculated that enlargement of the restaurant is vital to the viability and ongoing success of the business.

“The current layout allows for only a small and tightly-packed front-of-house area with very little space for the quantity of covers necessary to achieve viability or to meet with modern building regulations for access and toilet provision.”