Durham c-store allowed to sell alcohol despite objections

A convenience store in Durham has been given permission to operate as an off licence despite reports of residents’ objections and complaints about alleged anti-social behaviour. 

According to local reports, Durham County Council was asked to grant a licence for the Crook Convenience Store on North Terrace, Crook to sell alcohol between 7am and 11.30pm every day. 

Owner Ravichandran Sivaguru, from Your Local Food and Wine Ltd, applied for the licence saying there would be 24-hour CCTV surveillance and records, crime prevention notices, well-trained staff and “prevention of overcrowding”. 

The application said there would be “no bullying allowed in the premises”, nor would “playing/recording music” or “suspicious activities and concerns about possible sexual harassment”. 

One of the objection letters that the council received reportedly stated that if the Crook Convenience store is to open the hours proposed then it will magnify such as anti-social behaviour such as car damage, rubbish on streets. 

“We already see teens acting in an anti-social way dropping rubbish, swearing, damaging the grassed areas outside DCC (Durham County Council) building and throwing eggs and smashing windows. They will now move outside this shop,” reported quoted from the letter, adding that there is a nursery next door and that small children will see drunk people as well as people who swear a lot and drop rubbish. 

The other letter mentioned that there have been complaints of children’s park littered with empty beer cans and bottles, while old and vulnerable were often harassed by the young to buy them drinks. 

“This is just going to lead to another outlet where the youth can try and get alcohol from and intimidate shoppers to buy alcohol for them,” reports quoted from the other letter. 

After mediation with Durham Police’s licensed economy team, the applicant added conditions to the licensing application, including full registered staff training, the Challenge 25 scheme with a register of refusals, an incident book and installation of a CCTV system covering all public areas keeping recordings for at least 28 days.