A Dumbarton hotel has been granted planning permission to extend by 54 bedrooms.

The Premier Inn hotel at Lomondgate, which opened around five years ago, will increase in size after West Dunbartonshire Council planners approved an application.

The plans were submitted to WDC in March this year, and were approved last week.

It is expected jobs will be created as a result of the approval, both during the construction stages and when the hotel is up and running in its extended state - with more staff needed to meet demand.

At Lomondgate services, there is a hotel, pub/restaurant, drive through coffee shop, a fish and chip restaurant, and a petrol station.

A three storey extension will now be built on a triangular area to the side of the hotel.

It is understood the particular Premier Inn is one of Whitbread's "best performing hotels in the region", a figure which is measured by occupancy and turn-away data.

Strathleven Regeneration CIC - with Walker Group Scotland - was a partner in the regeneration project when the Premier Inn was developed in 2010/11.

They said they were "entirely supportive" of their intention to extend the hotel, but said the proposals were "sub-optimal".

A report said the extension provides more rooms, and therefore the principle of the development would be supported for tourist opportunities.

The report also said jobs would be created in the short term while construction is carried out, and in the long term, as additional staff will be needed in the hotel.

The report adds: "There is also the possibility that by providing the opportunity for more people to stay in the area the other nearby businesses could also benefit from additional trade."

With the extension, there will also be 79 additional parking spaces formed.

A spokesman for Premier Inn told the Reporter:

This is the second application to extend the hotel at Lomondgate services. In April 2015 an application was submitted and later withdrawn for the works.