Tesco in Otley Run row: Alcohol licence bid sparks backlash
Supermarket chain Tesco is facing opposition to its plans to sell alcohol from a new store on the route of a famous pub crawl.
Councillors will decide whether to grant a premises licence for a vacant shop unit in Headingley Central.
The Tesco Express would be on the route of the Otley Run, which draws thousands of drinkers to the community at weekends.
Tesco first applied to sell drinks from 6am-midnight but reduced the hours to 7am to 11am as part of an agreement with the police.
Leeds City Council received objections from 31 people living nearby, along with Green Party councillor Tim Goodall.
Objectors raised concerns over drunken behaviour on the pub crawl.
One wrote: “To allow another outlet for the supply of alcohol would be a disaster, compounding the already well documented issues around the Otley Run and alcohol abuse in Headingley.”
A licensing sub-committee will consider Tesco’s application at a hearing at Leeds Civic Hall on Tuesday. March 3.
In its licence application Tesco said measures would be in place to avoid causing public nuisance.
It said: “The company has a good neighbour ethos which seeks to ensure that the premises plays an active part in the local community.”
The proposed new Tesco is in a Cumulative Impact Area (CIA), classed as suffering from high levels of alcohol-related harm by the council.
In December 2024, bar and restaurant firm Loungers UK was refused a premises licence for the same site.