An alcohol licence could be granted for a new cafe and deli in Budleigh Salterton. 

The Salt Cellars, formerly Greenway Lane Post Office & Stores, is to be opened at 30 Greenway Lane, a largely residential area of the East Devon town.

The owner, Richard Charlton, of Cranbrook-based Many Bars Ltd, believes the establishment, which will serve local food and drink, "will be a real asset for the community."

The licensing and enforcement sub-committee at East Devon District Council (EDDC) met on Wednesday [27 April] for a public hearing about the application to sell alcohol at the cafe. 

Prior to the meeting concerns were raised by several residents about noise, people drinking in a residential area and the impact of the establishment on children.  

Mr Charlton, who also owns a brewery, provided a written response to "ease some of the worries expressed." 

He said the responses he'd seen had "generally have been overwhelmingly positive" about the opening.

He said that The Salt Cellar will never refer to itself as a pub or bar, and placed emphasis on the business being a cafe and deli.  Mr Charlton said the establishment's signage will reflect this fact. 

Music will only be played at ambient level and "would never be so loud as to interfere with normal conversation." Mr Charlton said he had no intention of having live music at the venue and expects the inside to have a maximum capacity of 24 people and the outside to seat six.

Addressing the concerns of suitability for children, he said: "As a father of two young children myself, we aim to actively welcome families and see them as our likely best customers. 

"We will offer tea, coffee, cakes, ice cream and facilities such as baby change and at table activities for the children to make them feel as welcome as the rest of the community to enjoy The Salt Cellars."

He added: "The alcoholic drinks we sell will be premium-priced and very much quality over quantity. We would never run drink promotions or encourage drinking to excess. We see our drinks offering as just another way of showcasing the very best of South West produce."

"Having the facility to drink on-site allows us to share new drinks with our customers directly – an invaluable device to better educate the public about the variety of drinks available from local independent producers."

Speaking at EDDC's hearing, he said: "We're a small venue and intend to be a real asset for the community as we really believe the local community is going to be the lifeblood of our company as we establish ourselves.

"Our door is always open and should any residents wish to speak directly with me I will always actively try to accommodate concerns and adapt if possible."

Mr Charlton said the shop's standard opening hours will be 8am to 6pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8am to 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays, with alcohol service stopping at 9.30pm on these days, There are no plans to open the shop on Sundays.

The licence would grant Mr Charlton the right to sell alcohol Mondays to Sundays 8am to 9.30pm, past the times he has in mind. Nevertheless, if concerns are raised in the future about how the premise is selling alcohol, it could be reviewed.  

Councillors on EDDC's licensing and enforcement sub-committee will now make a decision about the application by Thursday 5 May.