Great Barr newsagent granted alcohol licence, despite objections
A Great Barr newsagent has been given permission to sell alcohol – despite fears the move could lead to a spike in crime and anti-social behaviour.
Barry's News, in Hillingford Avenue, was granted a premises licence allowing them to sell alcohol between 6am and 8pm Monday to Sunday.
During a Walsall Council licensing sub-committee meeting on Tuesday, local councillors Adrian Andrew and Chris Towe, along with the area's Neighbourhood Watch member, Philip Shellis, told the hearing they were worried that previous high levels of disorder caused by alcohol in the area, which they had worked to reduce, would return if the licence was granted.
They added there were already a number of stores and off licences selling alcohol within a short distance of the premises.
Roy Light, representing Barry's News at the hearing, said there was no evidence that anti-social behaviour would increase if the licence was granted and added that the police and other regulatory bodies had not objected to the plans.
The store had wanted to sell alcohol for their full business hours up until 11pm but the committee said they accepted the concerns about disorder so restricted the hours of sale for alcohol.
Kartheepan Sriramanoorthy, whose family runs the shop as well as two others in Derby and London, said newspaper sales were on a sharp decline and so they wanted to diversify to boost trade.
Councillor Andrew said: “We are extremely concerned about this on behalf of residents who have contacted us directly to champion their cause about having another licensed premises in this vicinity.
“Over the last few years, we have had some incredibly bad instances of anti-social behaviour which have resulted in us having to put cameras up.
“We believe having this additional licensed premises will contribute further to problems that our residents suffer in this vicinity.”
Mr Shellis added: “I have lived in the area for more than 50 years and we had many problems in the past around the shops.
“There were always youths hanging around there and I fought for many years for us to get the cameras put up there which seems to have done the trick and cut down on the problems.
“Because of the amount of outlets there are, we shouldn’t have another one. The biggest worry is the anti-social behaviour starting over again.”
But Mr Light said: “Statutory guidance states that licensing authorities should look to the police as the main source of advice on crime and disorder.
“The police haven’t made any representations. In other applications, if the police do have concerns they make them known. We heard that there were problems but they have been dealt with.
“There have been other stores opening and we haven’t heard that they have generated any problems.”
