Bid to extend off licence times leads to crime and disorder questions

Convenience store operators in Blackpool are seeking permission to be able to sell alcohol until midnight – but are facing objections.

The Newsagents store at 60 Coronation Street in Central Blackpool currently has a premises licence which allows it to sell alcohol (off the premises) until 10pm.

Now the operators, Focus General Management North West Ltd, have applied to Blackpool Council’s licensing panel for a variation of the premises license agreement to extend those times by two hours each night.

Objectors say that this part of Blackpool does not need a later license for alcohol, already having its share of crime including violent assaults, drunken disturbances and a ram raid.

But the applicants say off licences are not to blame for an increase in crime – and argue there are now fewer of them.

The licensing panel is due to make a decision on the application this week, on Wednesday August 6.

The licence currently authorises the sale of alcohol (for consumption off the premises), from Monday to Sunday at 8am to 10pm, with opening hours Monday to Sunday 8am to 10pm.

The variation application requests permission to extend the opening hours to Monday to Sunday 8am to 12am and to extend the hours for supply of alcohol off the premises to Monday to Sunday from 8am to 12am.

Following consultation with PC Pritchard of Lancashire Constabulary, it has been agreed that, if granted, a condition would require a personal licence holder to always be on the premises, rather than just be able to attend the premises within one hour of request from the police.

Objector Gerard Walsh stated: “Given the high crime rate in and around Coronation Street, I believe this extension would only increase levels of anti-social behaviour.

“This area has already seen multiple violent assaults, a kidnapping, a ram raid, drug and alcohol misuse and unruly street drinkers – all documented with supported evidence.

“With the placement of individuals (many with both social psychological problems) into low rental housing (B&Bs, HMOs) from multiple agencies, the sale of alcohol until 12am would only exacerbate the problem.”

 John Morgan, of the Central Blackpool Business Forum, said: “We feel that extending the hours of sale of alcohol from 10pm to midnight will increase ASB (anti-social behaviour) and drunken behaviour in the central holiday area. This area already suffers from high rates of crime and ASB, with alcoholics and drug addicts housed nearby.”

However, M Squared Services Ltd, on behalf of the applicant, said: “ The two objectors both advance a similar argument that the granting of additional hours will negatively impact on the existing levels of crime and disorder and anti-social behaviour being experienced in the area.

“There can be no argument that the area and Talbot Ward in general suffers from particularly high levels of crime but what is in dispute is the cause.

“Since 2019 off licence numbers have reduced. From the 17 Off licences in operation three are not what could be described as traditional off licences.

“Out of the 14 remaining premises 53% of them already benefit from a terminal hour of midnight. Despite a reduction by over 25% in off licence numbers in Talbot Ward, crime statistics seem to have increased dramatically

“There can be no correlation to off licences being the cause for such an increase when the numbers have reduced so significantly and running parallel to this there is no evidence locally of off licences being subject to enforcement activity or being the direct cause of any significant crime. “