A Bridport restaurant is to be allowed longer opening hours.

Soulshine in South Street was taken over by Joel Gosling and Andy Tyrrell in April 2021. They say they need to have extra hours for the restaurant to thrive.

The business partners have successfully argued that Dorset Council should allow a change to a planning consent to give them more hours.

Although they have won the argument the authority has only approved the change as a temporary measure for 12 months after concerns that noise might affecting nearby residential properties. It will also mean the rear courtyard of the building will have to close at 10pm.

Once the year is up a further application will have to be made if the business wishes to retain the hours now agreed.

Goose and Badger, the company name behind the venture, who are known locally for running pop-up kitchens, had asked for opening as a restaurant from 07:00 -23:00 Monday-Saturday, and 09:00- 16:00 on Sunday. Evening opening had previously been limited to Fridays and Saturdays.

"As customers have to be spaced out due to Covid it is important to be open as much as possible to elevate the flow of business," said the application.

Also changing is the hours for the external areas, which were limited to 07:00-19:00 Monday-Thursday, 07:00-2100, Friday and Saturday and 10:00- 16:00 on Sunday, but will now become 07:00-22:00 Monday to Saturday and Sunday from 09:00-16:00.

Said the application papers: "The conditions need to be changed in order to run Soulshine as a day and night restaurant, which is required to keep this business sustainable. The neighbours have changed from when the original permission was applied for and now everybody is supportive of a full restaurant in this building. Also due to the restrictions that Covid has placed on hospitality businesses it is important for us to be open as much as possible."

The business owners pointed out that the Woodman pub is directly across the street while an Indian restaurant three doors away has a full licence and opens every day of the week until 11pm.

They say that the their business not only provides work for nine staff, but also supports local producers.

"We can already feel that our two nights (Fridays and Saturdays) are generating positive feelings in the local area, helping people feel like life and fun times can exist again, but everyone keeps asking us when we will open more."

Support for the change in hours came from Bridport Town Council although it asked that the outside hours be restricted to 10pm.