Shop denied licence due to troubled history
A Lozells shop has been denied permission to sell alcohol due to its troubled history of crime and anti-social behaviour.
West Midlands Police say there have been "excessive issues" surrounding the Villa Convenience premises on Villa Road, albeit when it was under previous management.
The shop’s premises licence, allowing it to serve booze, was revoked in 2016 following violent disorder when it operated as The Villa Supermarket.
In the same year Trading Standards also discovered a "considerable number" of counterfeit and non-duty paid cigarettes.
But despite the sanction problems continued at the premises, which latterly was called International Food Market, with police stating the shop carried on serving alcohol to "street drinkers" and cigarettes in singles in breach of the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016.
The address has also been linked to more serious criminal allegations, which are subject to a separate on-going investigation. But the concerns were enough to convince magistrates to grant a three-month closure order in September 2018.
In recent weeks the shop’s latest operators applied for a premises licence to sell alcohol until 3am seven days of week with the police objecting to the move.
While Christina McCullough, Birmingham City Council licensing enforcement officer, claimed the outlet "reeked of drugs" when she visited last month and witnessed another sale of single cigarettes.
Addressing a council licensing committee yesterday she said: “I don’t see the applicant can be taking this seriously when they can’t comply with simple legislation which is well-known.”
After reeling off a list of issues at the shop throughout the years PC Abdool Rohomon said: “All real incidents, real concerns, problems which are blighting local communities.
“Adding to the fray that they would then be permitted to sell alcohol, would only compound those issues and make them far worse.”
He added: “The history is very relevant, yes they are different people, but different people, same issues. It’s irrelevant who holds the lease for these premises it will just continue to cause untold problems for the area.”
In their application the shop had vowed to uphold the principles of preventing crime and nuisance, promoting public safety and preventing children from harm by committing to thorough staff training, keeping a refusals log, operating CCTV, retaining alcohol VAT receipts, litter picks and installing relevant signs.
However no-one from the shop attended the meeting to counter the objections put forward by police and licensing enforcement.
The committee deliberated for less than 30 minutes before confirming their decision to refuse the application.
