A new convenience store located in a small town in rural Somerset has been granted a licence to sell alcohol 24 hours a day.
Sterling Petroleum Ltd has opened a new convenience store and petrol station at the former Jones Garage life at 17 West Street in Wiveliscombe, to the west of Taunton.
The company - which runs 40 similar sites across the UK - applied for licence to sell alcohol for consumption off the premises 24 hours a day, prompting objections from local councillors over "public nuisance".
But these objections were overruled by Somerset Council's licensing sub-committee west, which voted to grant the licence following a short virtual hearing on Friday afternoon (June 19).
Naga Rajesh, an independent licensing consultant who has worked with Sterling Petroleum for eight years, said that the company had "very good management practice" in place and would not be selling either super-strength alcohol or large boxes of cans or bottles.
He told the sub-committee: "Local residents are our priority. We are not reliant on passing trade, and we do not want to cause residents any trouble.
"We have lots of sites in small villages and we’ve never had any issues in the last eight years."
Peter Berman, who sits on Wiveliscombe Town Council, questioned the professionalism of the applicant regarding changes to the building, which lies within the town's conservation area.
He said: "Why have you started work in a conservation area on an 'iconic 1930s garage' without any inquiries on whether planning permission or listed building consent would be needed? It doesn’t seem very professional to me
"Wiveliscombe is a small town of 3,000 people. We are not on a main road, and the town is basically empty by midnight.
"We are a little puzzled as to why you want a 24-hour licence to serve alcohol.
"If you want to prevent break-ins, you can keep the shop open, but you don’t have to serve alcohol."
Avon and Somerset Constabulary agreed a series of conditions with the applicant before the hearing, including the installation of a CCTV system and prohibiting the sale of any beer or cider of more than 6.5 per cent.
Between 10pm and 6am, when only one staff member is on duty at the shop, all food and drink sales will be conducted via a night hatch.
Councillor Dave Mansell (whose Upper Tone division includes Wiveliscombe) claimed that the site was subject to an ongoing investigation by the council's planning enforcement team.
He said: "The shop opened yesterday [June 18]. Previously this was a garage, which was run by the same family for 100 years.
"This is subject to a planning enforcement case at the moment. The applicant has has been asked to cease building work and permission is needed for what is going on on at the site."
Mr Rajesh responded: "We have to stick with the planning restrictions. As far as I know, there are no restrictions at the moment, and we will not be breaching the planning terms in any way, shape or form.”
Mr Mansell - who leads the Green opposition group on Somerset Council - went on to say that he felt the development would have a serious negative impact on local residents.
He explained: "We are several doors down from the site - we live on West Road.
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"My issue is around public nuisance from selling alcohol overnight. I don’t believe there is any significant demand for this locally.
"Wiveliscombe is a small, rural hill town – after 10pm or 11pm, all the pubs and shops are shut and there are not people about. Most residents will be in bed or going to bed.
"This is not the right time of day or location for seeking to attract a trade of whatever purpose, let alone alcohol sales.
"At night-time, this area is quiet – and this will be inevitably disturbed, causing nuisance to residents who would be expecting to sleep.
"I am okay with an alcohol licence being issued; it is the overnight trading that is the problem."
Following a short debate in confidential session, the sub-committee voted to grant the licence in full.
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