Three east Leeds councillors are fighting a convenience store’s plans to sell alcohol, amid fears about street drinking in the area.
Halton Convenience Store, on Cross Green Lane in Halton, has applied for a licence to sell booze from 7.30am to 11pm every day. But local councillors for the Temple Newsam ward, Helen Hayden, Debra Coupar and Nicole Sharpe, have objected to the licence being given, ahead of a hearing next Tuesday.
A letter sent on behalf of the Labour trio said they were concerned about the length of time the store would be licensed for each day, and claimed there “enough establishments” already selling booze locally.
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Other concerns listed in bullet point form included “underage street drinking” and the “gathering of youths and related anti-social behaviour in and around the grassed community area outside the establishment and surrounding area.”
Responding to those objections with his own letter ahead of the hearing, store boss Joginder Singh Panesar said he’d had to maximise his licensed hours due to the “economic crisis”, but insisted he’d operate responsibly.
He said: “Any youth causing anti-social behavioiur will be asked to move on, or to safely go home, or the police will be contacted.
“Any gatherings will not be a regular occurrence, as behavioural patterns (would) escalate, which becomes intimidating and leads to anti-social behaviour and we will be doing more to prevent this from happening.”
Mr Panesar said the store would refuse service to drunks and operate a Challenge 25 policy to eliminate underage drinking, He added that he already has a successful off-licence with a clean record elsewhere, saying: We have been running this business for just over 16 years and have a high footfall of children.
“We have passed all the mystery shops/test purchasing and have held the alcohol licence since 2006.”
A panel of three councillors are likely to have the final say on whether or not the licence can be granted.
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