A MICRO-BREWERY has been given consent to use a Dorset farm site – although it has dropped plans for a tap room and direct sales from the premises.

Residents living near the site at Holwell complained that the brewery location in Peaceful Lane, would be anything but tranquil if the off sales and tap room were to be allowed.

Councillors have now approved the proposal for a micro-brewery only at the Lower Woodbridge Farm site, allowing the demolition of a dilapidated chicken coop to make way for the new industrial-style building, which will be built on the same footprint although 1.5metres taller.

The application comes from Mr Adrian Peskin of Woodshedding Ltd which already has a mini brewery and tap room at Launceston Farm, Tarrant Launceston near Blandford Forum.

Dorset Council planners approved the planning application despite the concerns about additional traffic, noise and smells from a small number of residents, expressed by the parish council.

Planning officers told the area planning committee that only a small number of van movements were expected every week, once the brewery had been set up, and were unlikely to be a nuisance, with the operation of the site on a very small scale not expected to cause any problems. Only two people are likely to work there.

Council chairman Val Pothecary, told colleagues she backed the idea: "It's a smashing idea. I would like to see more diversification in the countryside, it's the lifeblood," she said.

But ward councillor Robin Legg told the meeting he could understand the concerns in the parish that Peaceful Lane, which he said lived up to its name, might become less than tranquil.

He told the meeting that the site already had a Premises Licence to sell alcohol so, if people did turn up and start drinking, it would not be an infringement of licensing laws.

"It seems to me that quite a lot of things are not quite right about this… what is happening here is that we are allowing the creep of a small scale industrial site," he said.

The committee heard that to operate legally, even with a Premises Licence, the business would also need to have planning consent to cover retail sales, which was not being asked for, or given.