CHRISTCHURCH Shopping Village has been granted permission to stay at their site - and there could be cocktail-making classes taking place.

The business applied for permission to continue at the Avon Works site in Bridge Street.

The buildings used to be Mostyns, a curtain manufacturer but was converted to the emporium-style shopping village in 2015.

Traders operating from the village include retailers, hot and cold food outlets, hair and beauty as well as crafts and vintage products.

A planning statement to BCP Council said: "The incentive behind the emporium was to create a space for a variety of inspiring and creative traders and manufacturers all in one place.

"The emporium allows the public to buy unique crafted items directly from the artist."

There are also rooms in the building to be used as workshop and activity areas. This includes French patisseries workshops, silversmith classes, sewing, floristry, pottery, and knitting.

The statement says there are around 100 stall holders benefitting from the business, including some who have existing businesses in the High Street who "recognise the benefit of exhibiting in the emporium alongside other artisans".

It adds: "The emporium is designed to help attract shoppers to Christchurch and not act as a pull away from the high street; they both offer very

different retail experiences. Some of the stalls are more suitable to the ‘warehouse’ type retail with furniture and other bulky items for

sale and display."

On the use of the top floor, which was previously used by Drop the Anchor Brewery, the application asks for the space to be retained as a microbrewery and tasting area.

This would include space to hold cocktail making classes.

The area is divided into two sections; a kitchen and a tasting area.

"There has been, as far as we are aware, no noise or disturbance complaints relating to the brewery, and specifically its serving of alcohol to patrons, while it remained in operation", the statement adds.

BCP Council have given the green light to the continued use of the site by the shopping village, with a number of conditions.

In granting permission, BCP Council said: "It is considered unlikely that the proposal would result in any significant harm to the

vitality and viability of the town centre however, as agreed during the previous permission, a temporary consent is considered appropriate given the temporary consent of the ground floor retail use.

"Such a temporary consent would enable longer term consideration of the use of the site in accordance with the ongoing retail study."