WORRIED residents claim a licence for music and alcohol at a village tearoom will spark drunken disorder.

And they are set to descend on a district council meeting today, to drive home their concerns over crime, pedestrian safety and noise.

Some 50 villagers and vice chairman of Burley Parish Council Peter Russell met with the owner of the Forest Tea House Charles Bruske and a licensing officer from New Forest District Council last week.

But now they say Mr Bruske has reneged on a deal to apply for a limited licence – and they say full permission for booze and music will shatter the peace and security of their village.

In a letter to the council villager Peter Bromfield said: “The ability to freely purchase and consume alcohol will encourage drunken disorder among the younger generation and lead to a rise in criminal activity.

“The parking facilities at the establishment are already inadequate and with the expected increase in trade generated by the proposed change and the present policy of encouraging coaches to park there, a high-risk public safety issue would undoubtedly arise.”

The council’s licensing department has received almost 30 letters of objections from residents.

The application was for alcohol to be sold between 7am and 11pm on and off the premises and for music to play between noon and 11pm.

Last week’s meeting ended with a compromise agreement reached for no alcohol to be served after 6pm and no music.

But at the last minute, Mr Bruske has decided to continue with the original application.

Resident Jane Kendall, who has organised the campaign, said: “I am furious.

“I am against the application for music and alcohol because there are lots of elderly people who live here and they get very distressed at the disruption alcohol can cause.

“This is a very quiet residential area. We already have coaches encroaching on the pavements here and elderly people, children and mothers with pushchairs are forced off the pavements. We have our horses and our cows roaming the streets every day. We thought we had reached an agreement but at the eleventh hour it’s all been changed.”

Mrs Kendall added: “I am hoping to get a mini-bus full of residents to attend the meeting at the NFDC offices today.”

Burley Parish Council vice chairman Peter Russell said: “It is a grave concern that a deal was offered by the applicant who for no good reason has withdrawn the offer.”

Jill Walker said: “We are all very worried about noise and alcohol being sold, which can be drunk off the site.

“And it is the safety of children walking to and from school, babies in buggies and elderly people who may encounter problems with coaches encroaching on the small pavement outside the premises.”

Mr Bruske told the Journal that he was not in a position to discuss the matter.

A spokesman for the district council said: “NFDC licensing officer Paul Weston attended the meeting last Thursday, but no agreement has been reached on the Forest Tea Rooms application. The matter will now be referred to the Licensing Panel sub-committee today for a decision to be made.”

A public meeting is being held at the New Forest District Council offices in Lyndhurst today at 10am with the licensing sub-committee.