Hove Tesco licence application decided

Tesco has been granted a licence to sell alcohol at its new store in Hove.

A licensing panel of Brighton and Hove City Council said that the supermarket chain could sell drink from 6am to 11pm at West Way in Hangleton.

Tesco hopes to open a Tesco Express there in late January or early February.

Neighbour Megan Hart objected to Tesco’s application to sell drink from so early until so late seven days a week.

She said: “The previous retail use of these premises was as a quiet bed shop with trading hours of 9am to 5pm.”

Before Hamsey’s sold beds and furniture from the shop, it was a late opening Co-op.

Miss Hart, 24, said: “The public bus stop is directly outside the premises and is the main mode of transport for visitors to the Grenadier pub which is opposite.

“Drunken disorder is a regular occurrence at 11pm when many disperse from the pub.

“I have noticed the increased police presence and newly appointed security guards at the Grenadier pub due to nuisances from some members of the public.”

The new proprietor of the Grenadier was recently praised by another councillor for adopting a less tolerant approach to bad behaviour on the premises. The introduction of door staff was part of this process.

Miss Hart said that four other outlets already sold alcohol in a small area – the Co-op, the Grenadier, a Spar and an off-licence.

She said that many children congregated outside the premises and added: “Increasingly I am being approached and asked to buy cigarettes and alcohol by children in school uniform.

“Living within such close proximity to the Grenadier pub opposite I have already been witness to a number of public rows and acts of domestic violence due to alcohol consumption.”

She also flagged up the issue of a couple – a man and a woman – who sit on the bench outside the Tesco store and drink cans of lager, sometimes shouting at people.

Miss Hart urged the panel to restrict the hours when alcohol is sold to 8am or 9am to 9pm. She said that this was the case with the Tesco store in The Droveway in Hove.

Juan Lopez, the barrister representing Tesco, said that the Grenadier had not prompted enough concerns for its licence to have been reviewed.

And he said that the presence of street drinkers was an issue that pre-dated Tesco’s application. He said that the store had robust policies regarding who could buy alcohol.

He also said that the company would be a good neighbour.

Councillor Denise Cobb said: “We’ve got it all here in writing and we’ve heard you say it but it’s not happening.”

She responded after Miss Hart said that Tesco had given her no notice of the building work at the site.

Cracks had appeared in her flat and she said: “They’ve been working on Sundays which they’re not supposed to do.

“They’ve been starting work at 6.45am with drilling.”

Mr Lopez said that he would pass on Miss Hart’s complaints to Tesco.

Sussex Police said: “Hangleton is an area of concern to us as historically this area has had a problem with alcohol-related crime and disorder problems with underage persons attempting to obtain alcohol.”

The police did not, though, object to drinks being sold from 6am to 11pm.

A series of planning applications relating to the new store are due to be decided by early December.

Licensing panel chairman Councillor Lizzie Deane, granting the licence, urged Tesco to be true to its word about being a good neighbour.