CIDER making, tasting and sales have been given approval for a Longburton farm.

Dorset Council has approved a change of use application for a farm building at Spring Farm off Bradford Lane.

The business, Twisted Cider, run by Mr Ben Weller,  said the premises will also run ‘cider experience’ classes which will involve cider and juice making, orchard management and a session on the history of West Dorset ciders.

The business had operated from the farm for ten years until a fire in 2020. The new premises, with a proposed licensed area of 78square metres, will be 14sqm larger than previously to allow for the business to expand.

Papers with the application to Dorset Council say the business currently only has one employee but plans to create two full time positions and three part-time positions within 18 months.

It says it intends to open for on and off sales from 9am to 6pm Monday to Thursday; 9am to 9pm Friday; 9am to 9pm Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sundays, which would allow for three extra hours on Fridays and Saturdays, compared to the previous hours.

Groups of up to a maximum of twenty are expected at the cider experience classes with events starting at noon each day.

Part of the application includes the approval of 12 parking space on the site.

Objections to the application included neighbours who claim that the proposal amounts to “industrial development by the back door”.

Said one letter of objection: “This is the wrong operation in the wrong place, which will adversely affect neighbours with increased traffic and influx of too many people to an area of quiet residential properties. Bradford Lane is unsuitable for the type of traffic which this operation will generate.”

The application also had many letters of support, including from other cider makers across the country, with Cam Vale parish council deciding not to object or support. Their letter to Dorset Council said: “This application has many within the Parish of Cam Vale who support it and who don't. In this case CVPC will leave the decision to Dorset Council to decide based upon the merits of the application.”

A planning officer report agreed that the development would generate additional trips along Bradford Lane but said it was unlikely to amount to ‘material harm’ for residents.

The proposed use of the buildings was thought by planning officers to be reasonable with limits on groups of no more than 20 and a ban on outdoor music to reduce the impact on neighbours, the nearest being 90 metres away.