Shop granted permission to sell alcohol 24-hours-a-day

The former Co-op store in Common Road, Wombourne, has been transformed into a Morrisons Daily branch.

Previously alcohol sales were restricted to 8am to 11pm Monday to Saturday, 10am to 10.30pm on Sundays, 8am to 10.30pm on Good Friday and 12pm to 3pm and 7pm to 10.30pm on Christmas Day.

But Samy Ltd has now been granted permission to sell alcohol round the clock, in line with the store’s new 24-hour opening, as well as hot drinks as “late night refreshment” from 11pm to 5am.

Police raised no objections to the plans. But South Staffordshire Council received 30 objections from residents who fear the later alcohol sales will lead to antisocial behaviour in a quiet residential area.

Wombourne Parish Council also objected to the proposed licence changes. District and parish councillor Mark Evans, a retired police officer, spoke on behalf of villagers at a licensing hearing on Tuesday .

He said: “We welcome the applicant and the business into our village. It offers jobs and a service to the community.

“However there is no call for selling alcohol in the early hours of the morning. It is not a shopping area and not a commercial hub, it is a quiet residential crossroads with four shops at the edge of the village.

“There is one supermarket that finishes serving alcohol at 10pm, two takeaways finishing at 11 – 11.30pm and a restaurant that finishes at midnight. After midnight that quiet residential area closes down.

“There are people that live in the flats above the premises and people that live opposite the premises. Alcohol invites the possibility of inappropriate behaviour – there is going to be an increase in antisocial behaviour.

“Next to the shop is a large car park by the church. The fear is during the summer months, when young people have been out drinking or are looking for somewhere to drink, they will come to this premises and the car park will become a magnet for them to drink,play loud music and be antisocial.”

The store began trading under the new management in February. Robert Botkai, who represented Samy Ltd at Wednesday’s hearing, said 24 hour opening was already in place and there had been no complaints or issues raised about it.

“Some residents hadn’t noticed they were trading 24 hours a day and they don’t need permission for that”, Mr Botkai told the panel. “They are serving about four or five people a night at the moment.

“We are asking for late night refreshment to sell cups of coffee between 11pm and 5am. There is a Costa coffee machine selling coffee and hot chocolate.

“It will be for hot drinks only, there will be no hot food sold. The store will be using Challenge 25 and till prompts (to prevent underage alcohol sales).

“Incidents will be recorded and there will be signage up about proxy sales. We won’t be selling high-strength beers or ciders and we won’t have alcohol near the door.

“Samy Ltd now have a number of 24-hour licences. I don’t believe these fears that people are going to come from far and wide and sales are going to lead to antisocial behaviour will materialise.

“If they do, please contact us – there is the power of licence review. The claim we always hear is it will encourage gatherings late at night; it has not been our experience at stores.”

The applicant’s requested alcohol sales times were granted, as well as permission for late night refreshment, subject to a series of conditions including limiting late night refreshment to hot drinks and no hot food sales.

Councillor Meg Barrow, who chaired the panel, said: “The committee had regard to the concerns of residents but were mindful that the application had to be considered on the basis of empirical evidence.”