Agenda item

To consider the report of the Head of Elections, Licensing and Registration this is an application for the grant of a premises licence, made by Mr Sukhvir Singh Sandhu, for Ireland Wood Post Office 72 Otley Old Road, Cookridge, Leeds, LS16 6LQ.

This was an application for the grant of a premises licence made by Mr Sukhvir Singh Sandhu, for Ireland Wood Post Office 72 Otley Old Road, Cookridge, Leeds, LS16 6LQ.

The application had attracted representations from other persons and a ward member.

Members were informed that this was the first application for these premises and that Mr Sandhu the applicant was the proposed designated premises supervisor.

The application was for the sale of alcohol everyday 06:00 until 23:00, no non-standard timings for bank holidays or special occasions were applied for.

Members noted that the operating schedule had been amended to include the measures agreed with West Yorkshire Police. A copy of the agreement was listed at appendix C of the submitted report.

Representations had been received from other persons in the form of a petition.

Mr Sandhu the applicant and his wife were present at the hearing. Mr Sandhu addressed the Su-Committee informing them that he welcomed the petition as it showed that the community cared about the area that they lived.

He explained to the Members that the Post Office network was going through a restructure and as part of the restructure, the Post Office was widening the retail aspect to sell general groceries such as fresh fruit and vegetables, milk and bread and it was hoped that alcohol would be part of the general provisions.

He said that by widening the services provided at the Post Office, it would give the opportunity for the post office services to survive and that the post office needed to adapt to become sustainable.

He informed the Sub-Committee that this model had been tried in other areas and proved to be successful. He had confidently passed the Post Office regulations and had invested in the new business which he expected to open in October.

Mr Sandhu said that currently the post office closed at 5:30pm. He said that he would ensure that there was no litter outside the premises and would adhere to the signed agreement with West Yorkshire Police.

He had installed a high specification CCTV which was mounted both inside and outside the premises with a TV screen in the premises which would act as a deterrent.

Challenge 25 would be in use at the premises.

He did not consider that the area was high risk with the police sub-station located within the boundaries.

He said that he had experience in the retail business.

He informed the Members that traffic and parking was already an issue prior to him buying the business.

In response to Members he informed them that he would hope to sell the full range of alcohol, wine, beer and spirits and that it would form approximately 35% of the retail business.

A local resident Mr Loganathan who had set up the petition was in attendance at the hearing and addressed the Sub-Committee.

He informed the Sub-Committee that he had lived in the area for 4 years recently there had been robberies and a lot of youngsters hanging about. He said that the litter in the area was getting worse and that there was a lot of shouting after 7pm.

Mr Loganathan said that the parking in the area was a problem.

In response Mr Sandhu said that he cleared the litter from the front of his premises and the noise could not be attributed to the post office as it currently closed at 5.30pm.

The Sub-Committee also took into account the letter that had been received from the Ward Councillor informing them of a number of incidents in the area caused by young people. The Ward Councillor was concerned that these incidents would increase if the post office was to sell alcohol and stay open until 23:00 causing disturbance and noise nuisance.

During deliberations the Sub-Committee requested that all parties be brought back in to the room to ask that an addition condition be added to the licence that the applicant would only sell multi-packs of canned alcoholic beverages. The applicant was agreeable to this condition.

RESOLVED – That the Licensing Sub-Committee grant the premises licence as applied for with the measures agreed with the responsible authorities prior to the hearing, together with the addition condition ‘There shall be no sale of single cans of alcoholic beverages from the premises’.