Arson and anti-social behaviour have left some in a Liverpool community nervous about plans that could see a shop operate as late as 3am on some nights.
Comments sent by residents and ward councillors to Liverpool Council’s licensing and gambling sub-committee lay bare a number of concerns from residents in Dingle’s Cockburn Street.
They include arson attacks on a children’s play area and an increase in gangs of people causing trouble for residents, leading to increased police deployments in the area.
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The issues came to light after the council was asked by the owners of a new dessert bar for permission to operate for delivery until 3am at weekends.
The new business, Elite Treatz, is set to serve a range of ice creams, cakes, milk shakes and other products.
Under plans submitted to the council it would only be open for walk in customers until midnight, with a delivery only service for its final three hours of operation.
While most residents and councillors were supportive of a new business opening in the area, some voiced concerns about the potential for the late night operation of the business to aggravate existing issues in the area.
In their submissions, ward councillors Hetty Wood and Steve Munby both said that issues with crime and anti-social behaviour in the area meant that while they supported the opening of the business, they believed it should shut at 11pm.
Their statement said: “There is a history of ASB and youth disorder in the area and it is associated with post 11pm opening. In Mill Street nearby opposite the Holylands a pizza parlour which opened after 11pm became a magnet for gangs of youth gathering outside which was the source of considerable discomfort to neighbours living opposite.
“Over the last 18 months residents in the Bread Streets have faced a significant increase in youth related ASB, with additional youth workers and police deployed to the area. The natural play area opposite was recently set alight and the hard play area has regularly been the subject of arson.”
A number of residents voiced similar concerns in their statements to the council, saying issues with anti-social behaviour had worsened in recent years.
While a handful of those who commented opposed the opening of the shop outright, the vast majority were supportive of the new business – but had worries about the potential late night opening.
However, some residents called on the council and the community to fully support the owners’ plans.
One person said they were “not under the impression that a cake shop would attract customers that are prone to anti-social behaviour and would ask that this be considered”.
Another wrote: “As a local resident, I feel we should be encouraging new independent business to the area. Cockburn street was historically the location of a number of retail units and it would be highly beneficial to the local community to see shift back in this direction.”
The shop’s owners will have a chance to make their case for late night opening to councillors later this month.
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