Neighbours object to licence for Brighton store

A specialist grocer has applied for a licence to sell alcohol but faces objections from neighbours, Brighton and Hove City Council and Sussex Police.

R&A Global Food Limited has applied for a premises licence for 17 Preston Road, Brighton, allowing the store to sell drink from 9am to 11pm daily.

The directors, Rigobel Fokou, 43, and Keubeng Tatsa, 40, opened the shop last November, having also run the nearby Afrika Mart at 4 Preston Road for 11 years where they already have a licence.

But in February last year the council extended its “special stress area” – where tougher rules govern the granting of new licences – to include Preston Road. This was in response to concerns about drink-related crime and anti-social behaviour.

Inspector Michelle Palmer-Harris lodged an official objection to the licence application on behalf of Sussex Police.

She said that the council revoked the premises licence for 17 Preston Road in 2018 after a long history of the licensing conditions being breached and failed test purchases by under-age customers.

At least three other licence applications for the premises have been refused or withdrawn because of its troubled history when it was known as International Food and Wine.

Even though Mr Fokou and Mrs Tatsa are new applicants, Inspector Palmer-Harris said that the shop’s history was relevant to the application.

In October 2020, she said, illegal cigarettes were found on sale in the shop when it was known as A Nifty Store.

Inspector Palmer-Harris said that the force was concerned that people would buy drink from the premises and consume in areas where alcohol-related crime and anti-social behaviour was a problem.

This would increase the risk of more trouble in places where many incidents were already alcohol-fuelled.

She also said that the applicants had not followed the lead of other responsible licensed premises locally by offering not to stock strong beer and cider or by volunteering not to sell single cans.

Council licensing officer Donna Lynsdale objected to the licence application on the grounds of protecting children from harm and preventing crime and disorder and public nuisance.

She said: “The premises has a long history of breaching licence conditions, poor management, failed under-age test purchases, non-duty paid (smuggled) alcohol and food safety issues, resulting in the premises licence being revoked.

“Although this is a different applicant to the previous premises licence, it is important to make the panel aware of the recent troubled history of this premises.”

Neighbours wrote to the council to lodge formal objections and started a petition that was signed by 63 people asking the council not to grant a licence.

Mrs Tatsa said that she and Mr Fokou wanted to merge the two shops into the larger site at 17 Preston Road and continue to sell African and Caribbean products.

She said: “We are experienced, professional people. We know what we are doing. When we came in here, I could see the ‘refusal logs’ had never been filled in. I refuse people and fill them in.”

At the moment, the logs only cover a refusal by staff to sell tobacco, usually if someone looks too young and does not have proof of age.

Sussex Police and the council’s licensing team ask businesses to keep logs for two years recording when and why they refused to serve a customer with an age-restricted product.

A council licensing panel, made up of three members, is due to decide whether to grant a licence at a hearing next Thursday (14 April). The hearing is scheduled to start at 10am and to be webcast on the council’s website.