PLANS for a cocktail delivery service from a spare room at a house in Redhill Drive are being defended by its owner, after opposition by a local councillor.

25-year-old Hannah Skelsey conceived the idea for a local luxury cocktail delivery service at the start of lockdown, when pubs and restaurants were forced to close.

But Redhill and Northbourne Cllr Jackie Edwards claims the application for an alcohol licence could lead to a public nuisance.

In a letter to a licensing committee hearing, due on July 21, she said: “This house backs onto Hill View primary school and is also opposite a public park which is not ideal. What guarantees will be given to prevent any potential harm to children?

“There absolutely must be no takeaway alcohol. There are several premises close by selling alcohol and with the park opposite I would not want to see an increase in anti-social behaviour.”

She has also raised concerns about the potential for illegal parking and noise to neighbours.

But Ms Skelsey told the Daily Echo: “I am planning to do deliveries only, under no circumstances would any customer ever come to my house to collect an order. The only people that would are the handful of licensed delivery drivers.

“I’ve been working with Dorset Police who have no objections, as long as we ensure that customers are over 18. I also have an alcohol license which enables me to make and sell my cocktails.

“I’d also like to add that my property does not back onto the nearby school, there is another property and garden separating them.”

The application asks for a licence to provide alcohol via a home delivery service between 11am and 11pm daily. It says the cocktails will be made in a utility room and then driven to customer’s homes.

Ms Skelsey said: “I work a five-day week in admin so this will really be a weekend business. The 11am to 11pm selling window is really just to be flexible for events like parties or gatherings. The primary business will be done on weekend evenings from 6pm.”

She also stressed that production from her home would only be temporary and, provided the business proved scalable, production would be moved to industrial premises.