Off licence facing battle for 24-hour alcohol licence in Muswell Hill (From This Is Local London)

Off licence facing battle for 24-hour alcohol licence in Muswell Hill

4:50pm Monday 6th September 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
•  

MUSWELL Hill residents have objected in droves to an off licence's plans to sell booze round-the-clock.

Eros Grocers in Alexandra Park Road has asked for permission to open and sell alcohol 24-hours-a-day, but has come up against a fierce backlash from residents.

Leading the objectors is Alexandra ward councillor Juliet Solomon, who argued the licence extension could attract undesirable people to the area and lead to a rise in street drinking, crime, and anti-social behaviour.

She wrote to the council: “For some time, in recent years, there was a problem of minor youth vandalism on this corner, which has, with the considerable help of the Safer Neighbourhood Team, finally been dealt with.

“Making alcohol more freely availablecould easily lead to the resumption of this kind of behaviour.”

Cllr Solomon adds: “If more alcohol were more readily available, I suspect that after about 11.30pm, the area could begin to feel a little threatening.”

Robert Konowalchuk, a resident of Grosvenor Road, said: “There are often groups of youths hanging around Alexandra Park Road. My wife, when travelling home in the late evening from work, often feels threatened by them.

“Extending the licence will only encourage these youths to continue to hang around after dark.”

Sixty three letters of objection have been lodged with the council opposing the idea of a round-the-clock licence, with some pointing out the Tesco nearby already has a 24-hour licence if one is needed in the area.

Others have pointed out the off licence is close to several Muswell Hill pubs, and may encourage boozers to continue drinking into the night causing potential anti-social behaviour and noise nuisance.

Haringey Police and Haringey Council's child protection team had objected to the licence as well, but after assurances from the shop's management that two staff would be on duty through the night and a challenge 21 policy would be in place, they withdrew their objections.

A licensing panel meeting has been called for tomorrow night when the shop's owners will be able to argue their case for a new licence, and objectors will also be able to have their say on the plans.