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Why you can now raise a toast at Highland cow experience in South Cambridgeshire




The owners of a ‘Highland cow experience’ have been granted a licence to sell alcohol.

Karl Lattion runs Highland Cow Cottage in Arrington, which people can visit to meet the cows and have afternoon tea.

A Highland cow
A Highland cow

He applied to South Cambridgeshire District Council for a licence to be able to sell alcohol between 10am and 9pm so that visitors could enjoy an alcoholic drink during their visit and so their brands could be sold online.

Seventy people gave messages of support, but 12 objections were lodged.

Some of the concerns raised were addressed by conditions imposed as councillors agreed to grant the licence last Wednesday (18 December).

Mr Lattion said he applied so people having afternoon tea could have a “glass of fizz”.

He added that he hoped to sell its own brands of alcohol online, so sought longer licence hours to be able to pack and send the alcohol in the evenings.

Kelly Game, also a director of the company, stressed that anyone drinking a glass of alcohol would only be able to do so after their Highland cow experience.

Visitors get half an hour to brush and interact with the cows through a fence, before they are taken away to wash their hands and have their afternoon tea.

Mr Lattion said it would be “negligent” to encourage people to drink a lot and go near the animals.

He added that a lot of villagers had visited and shown support.

He said: “There is nothing in the village. I think this just helps bring a bit of the community back.”

But Brian Murray raised concerns about people drinking alcohol near the cows.

He said: “This is not an environment where alcohol should be consumed, it is plain dangerous.”

Charlotte Murray said it could lead to more activities than planned by the owners, unless there were specific conditions imposed.

She claimed there was “nothing to stop all day drinking” and believed it would cause a nuisance for neighbours and those attending the church.

Concerns were also raised about public safety, as objectors highlighted that a public footpath ran through the field where the cattle were kept.

Avril Tayor, from Arrington Parish Council, said the council was concerned about the environmental impact, including noise and light pollution, as well as public safety.

However, other neighbours backed the application.

Lizzie Emery said the business had been an “amazing thing for Arrington”.

She said the staff had “always ensured that their customers are well informed and respectful of the area” and had not caused a nuisance.

She did not think approving the alcohol licence would impact the village as claimed.

Jackie Emery believed the alcohol licence would do “more good than harm” and would “help uplift the community”.

Another neighbour, Craig Smith, said: “We were so pleased when we heard Highland Cow Cottage were thinking of setting up their Highland cow experience in the meadow directly next to us and the potential for them to be able to offer the village a space where we could again socialise and become more of a community.

“It was great to see villagers up the meadow the other week enjoying a free drink and a few nibbles, making new friends and meeting people I hadn’t even spoken to before.

“It would be such a shame if an alcohol licence is not granted and the opportunity lost to bring our village community together in a social setting.”

Councillors granted the licence after considering the application in private.

Cllr Anna Bradnam (Lib Dem, Milton and Waterbeach) said the sub-committee did not have a problem with people having a “glass of something bubbly” with the afternoon tea, but did have some concerns about any evening events where drinks were sold.

While Cllr Bradnam said there was no evidence there would be any issues problem, but they had decided to apply some extra conditions to “mitigate any potential problems”.

These conditions included requiring the business to ask for licence plates of people who book to attend to address any parking problems and to make a mobile number available to people nearby to report any concerns.

Cllr Bradnam added that it was the responsibility of the applicants to run the business “in a way that is acceptable” to their neighbours and members of the public.



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