Bradford store granted 24 hour drinks licence

A store in Great Horton Road, Bradford has been granted a licence to sell alcohol for 24 hours a day.

Bradford Council this week granted the licence to Jimmy’s Stores, despite fears from one local councillor that the later sale of alcohol would lead to a rise in anti social behaviour in the area.

The store had a licence to sell alcohol between 8am and 11pm, but late last year Taha Ali Said applied for a 24-hour licence.

Councillor Aneela Ahmed (Lab, City) had written to licensing officers calling for them to block the plans.

She said: “The traffic on this particular road is very heavy and people tend to park inappropriately on yellow lines and pavements etc. this includes people visiting the shop as well.

“People using the bus stop would not wish to be dodging drunk people on the shops doorstep 24 hours to get on and off their bus, it creates a worrying atmosphere which many will find unsafe, this sort of behaviour is already experienced by the local residents as we often tend to find inebriated people hanging about outside or asleep in the derelict building site next door, after gaining access through the flimsy fencing.

“Should the premises be granted a 24-hour licence it will impact on the neighbourhood noise levels, the constant drunken antics of some customers that occur outside the premises currently, will continue to blight the lives of the local residents round the clock.”

At a meeting of Bradford Council’s Licensing Panel on Tuesday neither Cllr Ahmed nor the applicant attended.

In their absence, members voted to approve the licence on several conditions, including that CCTV would have to be installed at the store.