A bed and breakfast has been granted a licence to sell alcohol and have live music despite concerns from local residents.

Fiona Sherriff from Cusgarne Manor at Cusgarne, near Truro, had applied to Cornwall Council for a licence for her B&B.

The licence also allows live music but this caused some concern among nearby residents who said they feared it could lead to large scale events with up to 500 people attending.

However Fiona explained that her B&B would only accommodate a maximum of seven guests and the licence only applied to the house and garden, which could not hold 500 people.

She told the council’s licensing act sub-committee: “I have just renovated a very historic farmhouse, almost finished and will open as a luxury bed and breakfast in July.

“It has three double bedrooms and is a very low key affair, it is reassuringly expensive.”

She explained that she was already a licensee for another premises and so had experience in running a licensed premises.

With this application she wanted to be able to offer staying guests the opportunity to buy a drink to enjoy in the garden “or buck’s fizz at breakfast”.

“I thought it would be a lovely add on and people would appreciate it.”

She told councillors that it was suggested that she should apply for live and recorded music so that if she hosted a small celebration she would not have to submit a separate application.

“I didn’t expect any problems or complaints but it seems the neighbourhood is up in arms about it – that surprised me.”

And she added: “I have no plans to hold music events or anything like that. It is simply there because I thought it would be nice to have.”

Turning to one of the objections which had been lodged she said: “One of the objectors say that music will be booming across the valley. There will definitely be no booming going on at all.”

Nic Munron, who had objected, said that while he did not think Mrs Sherriff had plans to hold large noisy parties the licence would allow that if she changed her mind.

He said: “The form of the licence seems out of scale for the seven people that she has at the moment.”

Another, anonymous, objector said: “It is for 500 people and you have no control over that. The noise and the potential that they could have 500 people there from 8am to 8pm and you have no powers to reduce that. I am not against business start-ups but I just think this loophole in the policy is too much.

“I just think the whole thing should be taken out of her hands and withdrawn to the benefit of the residents.”

Mrs Sherriff responded saying: “My licenseable area is my house and my garden – I really can’t fit 500 people in my garden.

“When you have a maximum of seven, hopefully discerning bed and breakfast guests, it would never be appropriate to have some raucous and huge.

“I do understand people’s concerns, if I was a rogue person I could do what I wanted. But I am not, I am a responsible licensee and people would have some comeback if I was ever to do something silly.”

The committee agreed to grant the licence saying that the licenseable area would not allow any large scale gatherings to take place and that if there were any concerns then people could request a review.