RESIDENTS from a tiny rural South Lakeland hamlet packed into a council meeting to voice their opposition to controversial plans to open a bar in the premises of a microbrewery.

Members of the public heckled the applicants as they outlined plans for the drinking hub at Bowston Bridge Brewery, near Burneside.

More than 30 residents from the 51-dwelling hamlet raised concerns about possible noise caused by music and visitors, parking issues in a hamlet that already suffers from congestion issues and the inadequacy of the building - a former garage on Bowston Bridge.

MORE TOP STORIES:

South Lakeland District Council’s licensing sub-committee approved the premises licence which will allow the owners to sell alcohol and play music. But the developers must now apply for full planning permission for the bar.

The meeting heard that 24 letters of objection had been lodged.

Peter Asby, one of the speakers representing the residents, said: "This has brought Bowston together more than anything before."

The licence was granted to the applicant, M. Rackstraw Ltd, with a host of conditions that reflected the concerns of residents.

They include a noise management plan, reducing the closing time to 11pm from Sunday to Thursday and 11.30pm on Friday and Saturday from midnight. One of the conditions says the number of people on the premises will not exceed the figure stated in the fire certificate.

Sarah Swarbrick, representing the brewery, said: "We are delighted that councillors saw what we were trying to do."

In a letter submitted to the council, the applicants said they hoped the new bar would become 'the hub of the community.'

"We have got beers at the Jolly Anglers at Burneside, the Sun Inn at Crook and at the Hare and Hounds at Levens, as well as in Bowness, Windermere, Ambleside, the Langdales, Appleby and Ingleton,” said Mrs Swarbrick.

"The plan has always been to open a small bar and coffee shop at the side of the river. The planning application, which is to be put forward, will show that."

Following the meeting George Quayle, Peter Asby and John Peatfield, who represented Bowston residents at the meeting, said in a joint-statement: "Obviously our community is disappointed that a licence has been granted. We understand that, within the legal constraints the committee have to operate, they have set up licence conditions to go some way to reducing the negative impact of the development in the areas of public nuisance and safety, in and around, our very small rural hamlet.

“Bowston Brewery will now need to put in a full planning application and residents will be closely scrutinising and monitoring the next stages of development.”