An independent family-run brewery has been granted an alcohol sales licence after the application was contested by a number of neighbours.

Bollington Brewing Co has recently moved into Brook Mill on Parker Street at Macclesfield.

Applicants Lee and Kirsten Wainwright applied for a licence to sell alcohol for consumption on and off the premises from Monday to Sunday between 9am and 11pm.

Cheshire East's Licensing Act sub-committee decided, following a hearing, that the application should be granted subject to conditions, including the implementation of a strict Challenge 25 policy.

The application was contested by a few residents who wrote to the council to object.

Their objections included concerns about noise – they said there had already been issues from a refrigeration unit and other noises – and fears that, if the council granted a licence for a taproom until 11pm 'you will be greatly increasing the risk of drunken disorder and anti-social behaviour'.

Brook Mill on Parker Street, the new home of Bollington Brewing Company. (Image - Google)

They also said there are already parking issues in the area.

No objectors attended the hearing.

Head of licensing Kim Evans told councillors that Cheshire Police and the environmental health team had proposed additional conditions which the applicant had agreed to.

Mr Wainwright told the hearing: "The application reflects the broader use of the building because it is a brewery and we want to open a tap room.

"What we're trying to do here is create a home for ourselves for the future. We've been in rented units in Bollington for 16 years and we want to find somewhere we can create a base.

"We want to do it properly and we want to be part of that community."

He added: "The proposal is going to create further employment, it's going to create some tourism because people will come and see it because the building is magnificent.

"We've planned it very carefully so the taproom element, which will be the main bar, will be at the furthest extremity away from any residential properties."

He added: "We've obviously got a 9am start because that covers the small shop and the online sales and we've asked for an 11pm finish because we think that's fairly reasonable."

Mr Wainwright said the only outside area was the small courtyard which was enclosed by other buildings.

Cllr John Place (Bollington, Lab) said: "Reading some of the correspondence, some people seem to have got the wrong end of the stick, so it looks like that's hopefully been clarified."

The hearing took place on Friday May 25 and the decision was published today (Tuesday).

Craft beer fans can now look forward to their first beer here.