A brewery which started up a tap room bar without having the necessary planning permission will learn today whether it can keep it running.

Eastern Daily Press: Redwell Brewery. Photo: Ella WilkinsonRedwell Brewery. Photo: Ella Wilkinson (Image: Archant)

And City Hall officers say the uniqueness of the case of Redwell Brewery - and the way the tap room and cafe/restaurant would support a local business - means Norwich City Council's planning committee should give the go-ahead.

The brewery, based at The Arches in Trowse, added its £30,000 tap room in 2018. That would not have initially needed planning permission, given it was an ancillary use to the brewery.

But the council says "over time the tap room has grown into a use which is considered more than ancillary" - operating on at least three nights a week with quiz nights, hot food and live music inside and outside.

While the site is covered by a licence which allows that, the council says planning permission is needed.

So Redwell has applied for permission to change part of the use of the site for a drinking establishment and café/restaurant.

However, the proposal has met opposition during two rounds of public consultation.

The first round saw 19 letters of objection and two petitions signed by 15 households, while the second round led to nine letters of objection and a petition signed by 11 households.

Concerns raised included noise from people inside and outside the building and from traffic, while Norfolk County Council was worried about extra traffic from a car park which was originally proposed.

However, Redwell has scrapped the plan for the car park.

And the council officers, who are recommending approval, said, in the report which will go before councillors: "It is worth noting that if this application were approved with the recommended conditions, the tap room would be required to scale back its hours and activities and the operation would therefore have a reduced impact on neighbours."

Officers added, if conditions are not complied with, it could quickly serve a breach of condition notice.

But they say the use of the site is "acceptable in this unique case since the uses would support an established small local business".

Redwell Brewery did not want to comment ahead of today's planning meeting.