A newsagent in Hove has been granted a licence to sell alcohol despite opposition from neighbours.
More than 90 people objected to the licence application from Martin’s, in Richardson Road, Hove, which would have enabled people to buy beers, wines and spirits from 6am to 11pm.
The application went before a Brighton and Hove City Council licensing panel last month.
The panel agreed that the shop, owned by Martin McColl Ltd, could sell alcohol from 9am to 9pm provided that no more than 25 per cent of its space was given over to drink.
Residents told the panel hearing on Monday 28 October that the area was a sleepy backwater and they wanted to keep it that way.
Sussex Police also opposed the application although it said that it could drop its opposition if the proposed hours were 8am to 10pm. Martin McColl rejected the compromise.
Martin McColl’s barrister, Leo Charalambides, said that the company was committed to being a good operator. If neighbours’ fears were realised, he said, the licence could be reviewed.
The panel said: “We agree, based on the representations and our knowledge of the area, that Richardson Road is residential and we are anxious to maintain its family-friendly feel.
“We were concerned that were we to grant the application as applied for there would be nothing to prevent the applicant or a future premises licence holder from turning the premises into a full off-licence, with no convenience store element.
“A condition restricting the area given over to alcohol storage is a must for future-proofing the licence.”
The panel – made up of three councillors – also said that digital security cameras must be installed and be able to operate in all light conditions, with footage stored for a minimum of 31 days.
There has been an off license on this street for at least 10 years.
This is a ludicrous decision frankly. There is no material benefit for the area as an off licence already exists in RR and his can only bring dditional disruption to a very quiet residential area. Well done planning- another non sensical decision Ill thought through and mystifying.