A VENUE at the foot of the Black Mountains which hosts farm stays and gatherings has been granted a new premises licence.

Drovers Rest in Dorstone has been granted an extension to its licence by the Herefordshire Council licensing committee.

Live and recorded music, and the sale/ supply of alcohol is now permitted from midday to 1am every day throughout the year.

The previous licence only allowed recorded music to be played between 6.30pm and 11.30pm and the sale/supply of alcohol between noon and 11.30pm between Easter to the end of October.

The committee granted the licence to the applicants, Paul and Kesri Smolas, with a number of conditions.

The applicant has to provide contact details in the event of noise issues and no live or recorded music is allowed in an outside area after 11.30pm.

The venue hosts weddings, food nights, supper clubs and fully catered events. There are also two self-catering cottages and five glamping tents.

Clifford Parish Council and Dorstone Parish Council raised concerns that extended hours into the winter months would bring increased traffic on single track roads, which are C roads and are not gritted in winter.

They also raised concerns about noise nuisance.