Police 'no option' but to object to Milton Keynes shop’s extended booze licence

    Photo: The Local Data Company

    A convenience store’s bid to sell alcohol after midnight until 1am, and again from 6am, has been blocked because it is only 220 metres from a popular nightclub.

    Thames Valley Police told a council committee that it had no issues with how Fenny Stratford Convenience Store is being run but they think it will be too much of a magnet to customers of Pink Punters nightclub.

    Gemma McCormack, licensing officer at Thames Valley Police, told a meeting that having an off licence in Watling Street, so close to Pink Punters, would be a magnet for drunk people who are looking for even more alcohol.

    She said: “Whilst the licence holder would be required to ensure not to sell alcohol to intoxicated people, this would likely lead to confrontation and possibly violent offences within the convenience store, with the licence holders staff being at risk.

    “Furthermore if alcohol sales are made, it would entice people to stay in the area longer, potentially disturbing nearby residents.”

    She told the licensing sub-committee on Thursday that she feared it would mean more of a call on police resources.

    “I have no option but to object to the application,” she told the committee.

    The shop owner had applied to Milton Keynes Council to sell booze two hours earlier, at 6am every day, and to stop selling booze at 1am.

    But the committee heard that some of the peak times for people going to Pink Punters, which is currently closed under covid restrictions, are between midnight and 1am, and again between 6am and 7am.

    Shop owner Mrs Divarshana Manohar told the committee that she wanted to open for her customers who include late night workers and shift workers.

    She told the committee that staff handle drunk people “nicely” and she had well trained staff. She also owns a chicken takeaway next door and said staff can be drafted in from their if necessary.

    “We have been running this business for five years and we have never had an issue serving alcohol to anyone who is drunk and we never will,” she told the committee.

    The application to sell alcohol from 6am to 1am seven days a week would have extended the hours for licensed sales by four hours. The current licence allows booze sales from 8am to 11pm.

    After discussions in private the three councillors on the sub-committee decided to allow alcohol sales from 8am to midnight.

    Chairing the committee, Cllr Mick Legg (Lab, Bletchley West) said the committee had heard “strong anecdotal evidence” about existing conditions which meant that they did not think it appropriate to grant an extra four hours.

    © MKFM News 2020 

    Sponsored Stories

     

    Local News

    Weather

    • Fri

      12°C

    • Sat

      13°C

    • Sun

      13°C

    • Mon

      11°C

    • Tue

      12°C