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Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
National
Joseph Locker

Rival business fails in bid to stop nearby shop in Radford selling alcohol until 9pm

A family-run business in Radford fears a new off-licence will lead to more crime and anti-social behaviour in the area.

Maxi Foods, which runs the Price Wise (Polski Sklep) store in Denman Street, applied for a licence to sell alcohol every day of the week until 9pm.

However a neighbouring family business set up a petition and objected to the proposals, eventually without success after the licence was granted.

Saher and Shaheena Tariq, who run a family business in the area, claimed granting the shop a licence could lead to more crime and "saturate" the area with off-licences.

Shaheena Tariq told a licencing committee meeting on January 25: "What would you say about the area being a saturation zone?

"We do live in the Radford and Arboretum and Berridge wards that have been noted to be saturation zones in Nottingham. There is quite a heavy presence of off-licences.

"The crux of what we are trying to say in objecting to this licence is that it would genuinely disrupt the peace we are trying to maintain at the moment due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I understand crime might have been reduced because of the pandemic but so has the footfall in town.

"My mother has had a business in this area, her family have owned it for 35 years, we know this area like the back of our hand. I know the challenges and issues that come with this area, but the applicant won't know that.

"The lack of experience in this area is going to lead to more issues in terms of anti-social behaviour."

"More alcohol in this area has always been associated with more crime," Ms Tariq added.

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But Mustafa Barak, on behalf of the applicant, said: "I call them a commercial objector rather than residents living in the area.

"They are the commercial objectors who cannot be treated as objective objectors in their objections because of their commercial interests. I would say they would simply say or do anything to prevent a competition to their business.

"It is not for me to decide whether there should be another off-licence in the area. What I would say is that there has been no objections from any responsible authorities."

Mr Barak said their concerns would be dealt with through a number of conditions.

The store therefore will refuse to sell alcohol to anyone under 21 and only sell drinks in packs of four, not single cans or bottles.

Labour councillor for the Berridge ward and chairman of the committee, Toby Neal, granted the applicant the licence to sell alcohol.

He said: "We note many of the points made, we are particularly sympathetic towards the impact around the impact around local communities and why in the past their has been particular policies that have sought to minimise the impact of the sale of alcohol in the area.

"However on the basis of this application we can see no reason for objecting the application and therefore are going to approve it."

"We do believe there are issues in the area, that's why it was previously covered by a saturation zone which is being reviewed at this moment," councillor Neal added.

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