AN application to sell booze from a West Bay kiosk will be put to the test at a hearing in Dorchester next week.

The proposal for off sales from By the Bridge at 4A The Green from Kelly Busby has met with a single objection.

Ms Busby has asked for Dorset Council’s licensing panel to approve off sales between 10am and 11pm on every day of the week with Andrew Bateman named as the designated premises supervisor, holding a personal licence issued by South Gloucestershire Council.

The objector, who is not being named by the council, said alcohol sales would only add to the danger in the area: “I think the idea of adding an alcohol licence to this business is rather dangerous mostly owing to location.

"West Bay gets incredibly busy and the location of this shack next to the bridge on that main road through is where you see a lot of accidents happen.

"During the summer it is a nightmare navigating tourists wandering into the road. It is a mix of people unable to use common sense and often down to pure volume of people.. that they spill into the road. I feel if alcohol was thrown into this mix it could only exacerbate the problem.

"I have personally witnessed incidents only increase year by year. If 'By the Bridge' was in a different location in West Bay I wouldn't see a problem. However this is probably the most problematic spot you could find.”

In response to the claim Ms Busby points out that the area in front of the kiosk is protected by bollards, making it a pedestrian only area.

“We wouldn’t be serving anyone who we deemed was under the influence of alcohol. It’s not our intention to have hoards of people drinking around the kiosk, it’s simply to benefit people who fancy an alcoholic drink whilst eating their fish and chips.

"It’s just as likely that someone is involved in an accident walking from one of the pubs back over the bridge. The kiosk next door which has no seating area and is less than one metre from us already have an alcohol licence and it was deemed fit at the time to issue theirs.”

The public hearing, unless cancelled because the objection is withdrawn, will take place at County Hall in Dorchester at 2pm on Tuesday February 27th.