An adventure golf course is allowed to continue selling alcohol – with a new take-away option – despite fears of drunkenness near children.

Walmer Adventure Golf near Deal applied to renew and change its drink licence, having received no complaints over the past three years.

But protestors opposed the move raising concerns over a perceived prevalence of “drunkenness and disorder” in the area, littering, and argued the site is “an entertainment area for children”.

Dover District Council licensing chiefs green-lit the scheme after Walmer Adventure’s lawyers pointed out they were “not running a riotous bar”.

The authority’s licensing committee met on Tuesday to discuss the bid, where four campaigners vehemently argued the plans should be scrapped.

Christopher White told the meeting: “Drunkenness and disorder is already prevalent in the local area. “

Anita Lamb added: “This is an entertainment area for children. What’s the necessity for having alcohol there at all?

“I don’t like the idea of this pristine area of Walmer being polluted with plastic containers from the premises.”

Walmer Adventure has held its license since 2021 permitting drink to be sold from its kiosk and consumption on the course and around the paddling pool. It was not for take-away sales.

The latest approved application covers a smaller seated area on its beach-side site off Marine Road, with alcohol sales allowed seven days a week from 10am to 10pm. This does allow sales for both on-site consumption and take-away.

During the meeting, applicants stressed there had been no complaints related to booze, adding responsible authorities such as police had raised no objections to the recent submission.

Walmer Adventure’s solicitor Jerome Dillon, told the meeting: “This is to run a business, not a riotous bar. This is not going to be a pub.

“We are offering a very small facility for adults. We estimate a quarter to a third of all kiosk sales would be alcohol.

“There are already five pubs in the area.”

Walmer Adventure Golf boss Michael Humphries told the committee the layout of the premises meant children at the neighbouring paddling pool would not be able to see adults buying alcohol.

Answering Mrs Lamb’s concerns about litter he said: “We hope people would be more responsible. But we have staff who would remove litter in a cleaning roster.”

The meeting heard that children under 16 were not allowed in unless accompanied by an adult.

Drinks would be served only in plastic glasses for on-site drinking, which would be limited to a seating area with not even 30 to 40 customers expected there.

Takeaway alcohol must be provided in plastic sealed containers, while the range of drinks would be limited; two types of lager, one IPA and a cider.

Speaking after the council’s decision, Mr White told KentOnline: “I’m not happy with the result but we will see what happens.”

A third protester, Tony Grist, added: “I think it was a foregone conclusion as they already have a licence.

“If this failed they would have reverted back to the old one and there would have been alcohol on sale throughout the whole of the site.

“They are going to have to police now alcohol taken off the site and on it.”

A DDC spokesman said after the meeting: “The previous licence application was for on-site sales only. It has been in place for three years with no reported issues.

“The new licence excludes the paddling pool and reduces the licensable area.”

Walmer Adventure Golf Ltd opened its present 18-hole Roman Landings adventure golf course on July 15,2022 in place of a putting green.

It is a 2,000 sq m site and has the theme of the area's heritage, covering eras such as Roman and medieval and the local smuggling past.

Mr Humphries. of Broadstairs, took over Walmer Paddling Pool’s lease last summer, and also runs the pirate-themed Rascal Bay adventure golf in Manston.