A South London shop’s bid to sell alcohol until 1am was halted due to fears of increased antisocial behavior and public nuisance.
South London: A shop in Chessington North station tried to extend its alcohol sales until 1am, but the Met Police stepped in. They were worried it would lead to more trouble in the area.
The Kingston Council’s Licensing Committee decided against the plan. They felt that allowing the shop to stay open later would disturb local residents. The police and health officials raised alarms about the potential for drunk customers causing chaos.
During a hearing, lawyer Armin Solimani pointed out that the shop had already broken some rules, like not keeping CCTV footage long enough. He said the operator seemed careless and couldn’t be trusted to manage the risks of late-night sales.
Mr. Solimani explained that as the night goes on, people tend to drink more, which can lead to more crime and disorder. He also mentioned that if the shop was the only place open late, it would attract a crowd, creating noise and problems for nearby homes.
Louise Gallagher from public health echoed these concerns. She said that having the shop open late would likely encourage people who had been drinking to buy even more alcohol, leading to more disturbances.
On the other hand, consultant Noel Samaroo, who represented the shop, argued that there hadn’t been any major issues. He claimed many locals wanted the shop to stay open later for convenience and that the operator had a good relationship with the community.
Mr. Samaroo insisted that the concerns were mostly about what might happen rather than what had actually occurred. He believed that if the shop followed the rules, there shouldn’t be any problems.
He also mentioned that extending the hours could really help the business thrive instead of just scraping by. He promised that the operator would fix the previous issues and retrain staff soon.
However, the committee’s report highlighted that residents had already been facing noise and nuisance, which would only get worse with extended hours. They noted that the area had issues with antisocial behavior even before 11pm.
The report pointed out that the open car park nearby was a gathering spot for noise and potential drug dealing. Allowing the shop to sell alcohol later would likely worsen these issues.
For now, the shop can still sell alcohol until 11pm on weekdays and 10:30pm on Sundays. It’s a tough break for them, but safety concerns took priority.
