Shop granted licence but told not to sell single beer cans and extra strong booze  

A Wakefield newsagents has been granted permission to sell alcohol 15 hours a day, despite residents’ fears over anti-social behaviour.

Portobello News, in the south of the city, was given a booze licence by councillors at a hearing on 28 July.

But the application had drawn six objections from neighbours, who claimed that disorder on their Portobello estate would be made worse.

Lifelong resident Vanisha Ahir said that anti-social behaviour was a regular occurrence around Duke of York Avenue, where the shop is located.

She told the hearing: “There is a lot of rowdy behaviour on the estate and I believe alcohol is a factor in that. I’ve been working from home during Covid and it’s happening throughout the day.

“Last night I was up until about 11pm because I could people shouting and bawling on the street.

“West Yorkshire Police are holding PACT meetings to try to address these issues that are affecting the estate, and so I just think approving this licence would just be completely counter-intuitive.

“It’s the increased availability of alcohol that concerns me and I just think this will pour fuel on the fire.”

But the shop owner, Nadarassa Arunanantham, suggested that the issues were not as bad as the objectors claimed.

His representative, from London-based Arka Consultants, told the hearing, that schoolchildren gathered outside the shop to mix, but did not cause trouble.

He said: “The applicant has more than 20 years’ experience in retail. Since he took over this shop, no concerns have been raised by the police or by Trading Standards about any of the other products he sells with an age limit, like tobacco products.

“A lot of people who come in to do their shopping sometimes want a bottle of wine and obviously they can’t buy that at this premises at the moment.

“There’s only a very small number of people who have objected, when there are around 500 residents living in the community.”

A panel of three councillors granted the licence, although a number of conditions have been imposed, including a ban on the sale of single beer cans and a limit on the strength of booze sold.

The applicant was also told he would only be allowed to sell alcohol between 8am and 11pm from Mondays to Saturdays, as opposed to the 6am start requested.

On Sundays, sales will start at 10am.