A plan by a North Yorkshire vineyard to run tours and sell wine will be decided by councillors following a raft of objections.

An application by the Bay Vineyard in Robin Hood’s Bay for a licence that would allow it to organise tours with wine tastings and to sell wine to visitors has been met with dozens of objections over concerns about noise disturbance and impacts on local highways.

Rebecca and Ian Sheveling’s application has sought permission for vineyard tours and the sale of alcohol seven days a week from 9am to 11pm as well as permitting the playing of live and recorded music.

North Yorkshire Council’s licensing sub-committee has been tasked with deciding on the application at a meeting tomorrow, Thursday, October 31, after the plan received almost 50 comments from members of the public, a majority of which were objections.

Located at Greenhills Farm across 42 acres of land, Bay Vineyard was set up as a farm diversification project that now grows red and white English grape varieties.

According to the applicants, the vineyard is currently limited to ten tours a year and is hoping to expand after it received a grant from the Rural England Prosperity Fund “towards investment in new equipment to support our growth”.

However, dozens of residents and visitors have raised concerns that it would have a “detrimental impact on the area”.

One of the objectors, Richard Foreman, asked: “Will I, and other local residents, have the enjoyment of our property significantly reduced because if we sit outside we will be subjected to the public nuisance of the additional noise? This is unacceptable.”

Mark Biles and Sarah Stacey-Biles from Hampshire, who “are holidaymakers with a strong family lineage” in the area, said they were “deeply concerned” by the scheme.

They said: “These proposals are excessive, disproportionate and will cause public nuisance and harm if approved.”

No objections have been made by the North York Moors National Park Authority and several letters of support were also sent to the council.

Resident Lindsey Broughton said she was in favour of the plan because “it would be wonderful to buy a bottle of wine directly from the very place that the grapes were grown”.

Another supporter, Sarah Crosby, described the proposal as “a welcome concept” that would generate employment and “offer an interesting tourism proposal”.

According to submitted plans, tastings currently take place inside the winery after which visitors can buy bottles of wine to take home.

If the licence is granted, the vineyard would be able “to do tastings and wine sales in the actual vineyard amongst the vines”.

The licensing sub-committee can approve or reject the plan or propose that the terms of the licence be modified.

Members of the public are invited to attend the meeting which will be held at Scarborough Town Hall.