Controversial Tesco store that sparked a riot gets alcohol licence after 10 years

A controversial Tesco store in Montpelier has won permission to sell alcohol ten years after the community rose up in protest against its arrival.

The opening of the Tesco Express in Cheltenham Road in 2011 sparked a riot which cost police around £465,000 and involved 160 officers from 12 different police forces.

Residents objected to the chain store’s invasion of an area famed for its independent businesses.

Now around 30 members of the community have fought and lost a battle to stop the local Tesco getting its first alcohol licence, which they fear will worsen alcohol-related crime and disorder in the area.

The store applied for a licence to sell alcohol when it first opened, but was refused because of a policy curbing new alcohol licences in the area that was in place at the time.

Bristol City Council used to have five such “cumulative impact area” (CIA) policies in place but was forced to drop four of them last year owing to a change in government policy.

With the Gloucester Road CIA policy no longer in place, Tesco again sought the council’s permission to sell alcohol.

It applied to make off-licence sales from 7am to 11pm every day before reducing the hours sought to between 9am and 9pm.

Police had opposed the longer hours, but withdrew their objection after the store agreed to a host of licensing conditions.

Tesco representative Jeremy Bark told a licensing committee the supermarket chain was a national leader in good alcohol retail practice.

“We empower and encourage our members of staff to refuse any selling of alcohol if they have any concerns about it at all,” he said.

But several residents said small local independent shops were better placed and more motivated to help people like street drinkers by not serving them.

Alcohol already takes a “massive” toll on the community, and making more of it available will only encourage street drinking, “aggressive begging” and drinking among teenagers, they said.

Clifton Down councillor Carla Denyer said there were two local schools nearby and that “hundreds of pupils walk past and visit the store every day”.

She said she feared the licence would encourage alcohol “price wars” and pleaded with the committee to consider the “cumulative impact” of adding another off-licence to an area that was already a “scary and dangerous place” at night.

A licensing officer confirmed the committee was entitled to consider “cumulative impact” despite no policy being in place at present.

The committee granted the licence, provided the store abides by 13 licensing conditions, including having a security guard on duty from opening till closing.