Concern over Tesco drinks licence bid
Residents and councillors in Weston are campaigning against a supermarket's bid to be able to serve alcohol over a longer period.
A petition has been drawn up in response to proposals for the licensing hours of the area's planned Tesco Express store.
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The new shop is due to open this month after the chain took over the existing Somerfield store in the High Street.
Tesco has applied to sell alcohol for all the hours the store will be open, from 6am to 11pm, seven days a week.
It is not clear, however, whether the store will implement the hours and despite numerous attempts to contact a spokeswoman for Tesco, no one has been available to comment.
Cllr Colin Barrett (Con, Weston) said he was worried about anti-social behaviour and under-age drinking.
He said: "I can't see any need for alcohol to be sold from the earliest hours of the morning, especially on Sundays.
"My concern is that selling alcohol from early morning until late in the evening could encourage anti-social behaviour.
"Weston village is a close community and most residents I've spoken with agree that granting such a long licence would be wrong for our area."
Somerfield has been open from 8am to 9pm from Monday to Saturday and from 9am to 8pm on Sundays. It sells alcohol between these hours.
Cllr Barrett also plans to contact Tesco to ask for security measures such as CCTV to be installed to try and deter alcohol-related disorder.
He said: "I'm not against Tesco opening on the High Street, but they need to ensure they work with the local community and cater for their needs.
"I plan on working with Tesco to ensure their security is robust and that under-age drinking is tackled."
Petitions have been distributed among shops in Weston and if anyone would like to pick up a copy they should contact Cllr Barrett on 07712 196428.
14 Comments
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by Dave, Weston
Friday, March 06 2009, 1:51PM
“Royston - if you watched underage sales happen and did nothing to prevent it, its hardly surprising problems persisted. Its also more than a bit rich in the circumstances you calling for tighter restrictions - there isn't any point if those in a position to uphold restrictions just let them be broken!”
by clarysage50, Somerset
Friday, March 06 2009, 1:14PM
“To be quite honest, I just hope that the 'new' store will be gutted and given a much needed re-vamp - clean, fresh and welcoming. However, I am not anticipating much change in customer 'service' as Tesco appear to be holding on to the existing Somerfield staff. Hopefully, there will be some 'crash' courses in customer care......bosses would do well to take some advice from the wonderful greengrocers (Duffee) just along the pavement where staff provide an exceptional service to all customers. Sorry if the truth hurts.....”
by Royston, Wellsway
Friday, March 06 2009, 11:53AM
“These incidents happened during the 8 years I worked in the store, most of the staff involved still work there and I'd prefer to remain anonymous.”
by Mat, Bath
Thursday, March 05 2009, 5:25PM
“Royston: How about following this up and telling police/staff/anybody else about it? It surely would be better than asking for a revoking of the licence.”
by PW, Bath
Thursday, March 05 2009, 2:26PM
“In a democracy, surely it's up to the residents to decide - after all, they live there.”
by Moe, Bath
Wednesday, March 04 2009, 9:37PM
“The shop breaks the rules from time to time. So we impose another rule to ensure that, if they continue to break the rules, they can only do so at certain times otherwise they break another rule...
Do you see how ludicrous this is becoming?”
by Royston, Wellsway
Wednesday, March 04 2009, 8:04PM
“I think the shop should be actually limited even more on the sale of alcohol. I have witnessed staff sell alcohol to minors on numerous occasions or to people these minors have accosted outside the shop to buy their alcohol for them.”
by Sam, Bath
Wednesday, March 04 2009, 7:57PM
“What police!?
The staff at the new Tesco should be trained to ask for ID if the person looks underage.
If there is already a problem with anti-social behaviour and underage drinking in Weston then why hasn't something already been done about it!? Why leave it until now when, according to Ted, "the High St has become something of a no go area in recent years".
And "Cllr Colin Barrett (Con, Weston) said he was worried about anti-social behaviour and under-age drinking."
Enough said!”
by Moe, Bath
Wednesday, March 04 2009, 7:31PM
“ The world is going to hell in a handcart and all we can find to obsess about is the hours a local shop are allowed to sell alcohol?
What's so wrong with the old system, where shops could sell what they like when they like, adults could buy what they like when they like, shops didn't sell alcohol to minors, and we had an organisation called the Police to sort them out when they got rowdy?
Why do we endlessly insist on shifting the responsibility for the irresponsible to the responsible?”
by Dave, Weston
Wednesday, March 04 2009, 5:26PM
“I'm afraid I don't see the concern - if the store is open it becomes a nightmare if you have to fence off part of it - especially in such a small store - because of licensing restrictions. This needs to be looked at in the wider context of the store being taken over by a chain that cannot afford its national image to be tarnished by a problem - unlike Somerfield who never really appeared to care what happened in that store. I'd say give them a chance and if problems are occuring then revoke it.”