A PLAN to sell alcohol as part of multi-million-pound plans to turn one of the county’s finest mansions into a new venue has been backed by councillors.

A request for a late-night alcohol and live music licence at Ombersley Court has been granted by Wychavon District Council’s licensing subcommittee as part of plans to turn the 300-year-old country house in Ombersley into a new private-hire venue.

Some residents in Ombersley had come out against the plan over concerns that the late-night music and alcohol move would “shatter” the peace in the village near Worcester.

Wychavon District Council’s licensing subcommittee approved the plans at a meeting in Pershore on Wednesday (April 12) which was attended by more than a dozen concerned residents.

Many of the residents said they were most alarmed by the noise from outdoor events – having been disrupted by a late-night charity ball held in the grounds of Ombersley Court last summer – and were content with the council’s move to put restrictions on only holding events inside.

Some objectors said the noise from the ball could be heard from their homes ‘more than 600 meters away’ and would have had a worse effect on the hundreds of homes closer to Ombersley Court.

During the licensing meeting, one resident said he was ‘happy’ for the grand Ombersley Court to be opened for private events but it “should not be at the expense of the community.”

The council has restricted the number of events that can be held at Ombersley Court to 30 a year where alcohol can be sold until 2am.

No outdoor events could be held outside and playing live and recorded music would be limited to indoors only.

The licensing committee also agreed to include constraints which restricted events to the main Manor House rather than the entire Ombersley Court grounds.

The application fronted by Mark Bevan, managing director of the Gemini Hospitality Group which also runs the Elms Hotel in Abberley and Checketts of Ombersley, described Ombersley Court as a “newly refurbished country house for pre-booked private use events only” and states that it would only cater for “exclusive corporate, ticketed and private clients.”