Round-the-clock booze sales and delivery permit granted for shop despite petition
An objector said the hours were ‘unnecessary and disproportionate’
Councillors have approved proposals for a convenience store in Wakefield to sell alcohol 24 hours a day.
Permission was granted at a licensing hearing called after residents signed a petition against the scheme for premises at 43 Barnsley Road.
Applicant Punniyamoorthy Sivananthan requested permission to increase the hours for the sale of alcohol for consumption off the premises from 10am to 10pm, Monday to Saturday, and from noon to 10pm on Sundays, to round-the-clock sales on a daily basis.
A request was also made to increase the size of the licensed area within the store and to allow “late night refreshment” between 11pm and 5am, daily.
Mr Sivananthan told the hearing that members of the public would not be able to enter the store between of 11pm and 6am but deliveries of groceries and alcohol could be arranged from the premises during those hours.
The applicant told the licensing panel that he had previous experience of operating premises and that other businesses in the area operated under similar licensing conditions.
Councillors were also told that West Yorkshire Police had agreed a schedule of operating conditions for the store, which included installing a CCTV system, carrying out staff training and having a ‘challenge 25’ age verification policy on customer deliveries.
One objection letter and a petition containing residents’ signatures had been submitted to the local authority. The objector opposed the scheme on the grounds of prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, public nuisance and the protection of children from harm.
The objector stated: “As a local resident, I am not aware of any unmet need for overnight alcohol sales in South Elmsall.
“Granting a 24-hour licence would primarily increase availability during the hours when most residents are sleeping and when alcohol-related anti-social behaviour is more likely to occur.
“In my view, the additional hours are unnecessary and disproportionate given the potential impact on local residents.”
They added: “Intoxicated individuals may create risks for themselves and others, particularly on nearby roads and public areas during late-night and early-morning periods.”No one attended the hearing to speak against the scheme.
Paul Jacques, senior legal advisor for the council, said: “There is no evidence of any ongoing concerns at the premises.“
Whilst the committee does have some concerns regarding deliveries, age verification and staffing, it is agreed that with the conditions put in place, this will hopefully address those concerns and prevent any impact on the licensing objectives.“In the circumstances, the committee will grant the application with the conditions.”