Bristol convenience store permitted to sell alcohol until 1am

A convenience store in Bristol has been granted permission to sell alcohol until 1am every day.

Star Food and Wine in Stokes Croft had applied to keep selling alcohol until 3am but city councillors felt it would encourage street drinking.

The owner simply wanted “flexible hours” to sell alcohol to people who live and work in the area, a licensing committee heard.

The store is currently open from 6.30am every day until 12.30am Sundays through Thursdays and 1am Fridays and Saturdays.

Solicitor Jeremy Woodcraft said his client, owner Kokilatheepan Rasaratnam, had offered several conditions that would “preclude” the possibility of 3am alcohol sales worsening street drinking in the area.

These included promising not to sell any single cans of alcohol after midnight or to sell any small bottles of spirits or large plastic bottles of beer or cider.

But police did not believe the conditions would make any difference in one of the worst areas for public disorder.

Officers from Avon and Somerset Constabulary and Bristol City Council’s regulatory services said selling alcohol until 3am would contribute to street drinking and crime and disorder in the area.

Anti-social behaviour peaks between 11pm and 4am, and Stokes Croft is already third in the top 20 locations for public disorder and anti-social behaviour, the committee heard.

But Woodcraft said the area was becoming more residential and the later opening hours would make the store more useful for late-night shift workers.

He pointed out that nightclubs Blue Mountain has closed permanently and there are plans afoot, either approved or at appeal, to replace Blue Mountain and Lakota with flats.

“We just really want the opportunity to provide a facility for those who live and work in the area to be a general store that offers everything but does not contribute to crime and disorder and nuisance,” he said.

“There are any number of people who live in the vicinity who use the store who are shift workers who work at night and obviously, for them, it is important or a valuable asset to have somewhere where they go and buy pretty much all of their products under one roof.

“It is the only premises in the vicinity that sells utility tokens or cards,” Woodcraft added.

Announcing the committee’s decision, chair Cllr Brenda Massey said: “It was noted that…there is a problem in the area with street drinking.

“This is the third most problematic area for anti-social behaviour in the city.

“It was also noted that the extra hours applied for were within the worst time for crime and disorder and the conditions offered would not ameliorate the committee’s concerns.

“The licence is therefore extended to 1am every day of the week.”

The licensing hearing took place virtually on November 5.