Wolverhampton shop’s plan to sell high-strength booze sparks concerns
A shop in one of Wolverhampton’s most disadvantaged suburbs has asked the city council for permission to sell single cans and/or bottles of extra strong alcohol – despite already breaching licensing conditions by doing so
The Billa Mini Market, in Upper Villiers Street, Blakenhall, has applied for a licence variation to extend licensable hours and remove a condition that prohibits the sale of single units with an ABV of 6.5 per cent or over.
Licensing bosses, police and public health officials have all expressed concerns that the sale of high-strength alcohol from 7am-11pm seven days a week could encourage and exacerbate the problem of street drinking.
In a report to the council, licensing manager Greg Bickerdike said: “The removal of the condition, no sales of single cans or bottles of alcohol with an ABV of 6.5 per cent or over to be sold, will undermine the licensing objective of the prevention of crime and disorder.
“This condition does not seek to restrict access to children. It is to create a price barrier to high-strength drinks, restricting access for problem drinkers, particularly street drinkers.
“The variation is further problematic in that the applicant intends to make sales of high-strength beer early in the morning, as they are seeking to extend the supply of alcohol to 7am to 11pm from Monday to Sunday.”
A statement from the council’s senior licensing and compliance officer Elizabeth Gregg added: “I visited the Billa Mini Market on May 2 and noted several areas of non-compliance with licensing objectives.
"This included single cans/bottles of alcohol with an ABV of 6.5 per cent or over available for sale.
"I requested that the alcohol be removed from display.
“In addition, further breaches were identified and recorded in a trader’s notice, specifying that they be rectified within 14 days."
She added: "I visited again on June 1 and saw that single cans/bottles of alcohol with an ABV of 6.5 per cent or over were still available.
"I advised them that the listed condition must be complied with and failure to do so could result in a review of the premises licence.
“The following conditions also remained in breach, with all staff to receive training and refresher training every six months on their responsibilities with regard to licensing legislation; all training to be documented and shown to a member of a responsible authority upon request; and all staff to be trained in Challenge 25.”
Wolverhampton Police licensing and regulatory officer PC Alison Oldfield said officers had visited the premises on January 26, and licensing breaches including single sales of high-strength alcohol were witnessed and noted.
Senior public health specialist Ryan Hollings added: “Although the premises is outside of a Cumulative Impact Zone (CIZ), the original condition prohibiting single can sales of high-strength alcohol would be something public health would like to be maintained within the licence.
“Following attempts made by public health, the applicant is unwilling to mediate on the original request to be able to sell single cans/bottles of alcohol with an ABV of 6.5 per cent or over where alcohol is consumed off the premises.”
The applicant and all those who have submitted representations have been invited to attend the hearing on Wednesday, August 2.
