Decision pending on Yardley store’s alcohol licence

A shop in Yardley could be refused an alcohol licence over “a number of concerns”. 

The shop in Yardley is seeking a licence to sell alcohol between 8am and 11pm from Monday to Sunday. DC Supermarket is wedged between The William Tyler pub and Headway Charity Shop on Church Road. 

According to local reports, DC Supermarket on Church Road in Yardley had its previous licence revoked in 2021 after counterfeit tobacco was found on site. 

At a Birmingham City Council licensing meeting on Monday, November 21, police said they had ‘no confidence’ in the store’s ownership. They added that there was confusion over whether the previous owner, who was in charge when the illegal tobacco was found, still ran the business. 

Licensing consultant Rob Edge spoke on behalf of the applicant Abubakr Sharinfnejad, saying: “We believe this to be a robust application. Only two of the eight responsible authorities saw reason to object.” 

Edge added that Sharinfnejad was not the owner of DC Supermarket and had entered a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ with the landlord of the business. He said Sharinfnejad was leasing the business from the original owner. 

Huram Taj of West Midlands Police licensing department told councillors the shop’s previous licence was revoked in August 2021 after Birmingham Trading Standards found ‘counterfeit and illicit tobacco products’ on the premises. He said that Sharinfnejad’s new application is seen by police as an attempt to ‘circumvent the decision to revoke the licence’. 

“The applicant has not been able to provide documentation that was requested to allay our concerns. This is 11 months after a transfer application – similar documents were requested at that time and not provided,” he added. 

“There is an air of ambiguity in relation to the ownership of the business. West Midlands Police have no confidence that the ownership has changed and therefore we believe granting the application would undermine past decisions made.” 

City chiefs will now discuss the application in private and publish a decision soon.