The new proprietor of a rural shooting range insisted drinkers would not be "dancing around with shotguns" in response to concerns over his request for an alcohol licence.

Edgehill Shooting Ground, Warmington, is set to be taken over by Nicholas Hollick who has held an alcohol licence at Honesberie Shooting School, Southam, for the past 14 years.

He is in the final throes of taking on the lease at Edgehill and is seeking to bolster the hospitality offering, proposing to serve alcohol to people once they have finished shooting and open up the premises for non-shooting bookings.

The Stratford-on-Avon district councillor for the patch Malcolm Littlewood expressed concern that "alcohol and firearms do not mix", a stance supported by portfolio holder for law and governance Cllr Natalie Gist.

However, Mr Hollick detailed how a system called Claymate handles all bookings for those shooting, including those with their own firearms licence.

He told the district's licensing panel that patrons who later head to the clubhouse and request alcohol would get asked whether they intend to go back out with no one permitted to if they have had any alcohol.

"No one would be served alcohol before it has been confirmed that they have finished shooting for the day," said Mr Hollick.

"Obviously we're not just having a party dancing around with shotguns. Every single customer who comes for a drink, if they look under 25 they will get challenged."

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He later added: "We have full control from the front of house that will probably also be administering the food service. That is a very solid gateway."

Cllr Littlewood was also worried that noise from the music allowed on licensed premises would carry into the nearby villages of Tysoe and Ratley, which was also the primary objection of Ratley & Upton Parish Council.

Parish councillor Adrian Berry said: "Over the past 10, 15 years or so, the shooting ground has abided by agreed noise limits.

"They don't shoot on Sundays and shoot on limited times during the week. Although you can hear the shooting all over the parish, it is regarded as being acceptable.

"The concern we have is that this application changes the previous licence. Everything that was allowed indoors is being asked for outdoors and the hours are such that in theory, they could have a live band on every day including Sundays playing outdoors in the Cotswold natural landscape.

"Ratley is a conservation area, the noise level is extremely quiet. The geography is such that the valley seems to funnel noise up to Ratley and even Edgehill, the concern is that there could be extremely loud concert-level noises every day of the week keeping the entire parish awake."

Mr Hollick said that "95 per cent" of the music played outdoors would be background music and that his agreement with the landowner was for up to 12 non-shooting events on Sundays per year.

"Hopefully that gives a little bit of clarity that we have no intention of suddenly having a rave down there," he said, also stating there is no planning permission for shooting on Sundays.

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Outdoor music would finish at 11pm in line with national guidance with the licence applied for permitting indoor music until midnight.

Questioned on the potential for increased disturbance, Mr Hollick replied: "It doesn't currently have an alcohol licence there. We are taking over from a gentleman who is very much into his retirement so we are going to be looking at enhancing the offer with the way we have operated at Honesberie.

"There may be someone who wants to have a wake, a 60th birthday, so it is all done in a tasteful manner."

The panel of three district councillors – Cllr Lorraine Grocott, Cllr Sarah Whalley-Hoggins and Cllr Ian Shenton – deliberated behind closed doors with the decision due for publication within five working days of the hearing held on Tuesday (May 5).