A new convenience store has won permission to sell alcohol until 9pm despite neighbours raising fears about late-night noise and anti-social behaviour.

The city council’s licensing sub-committee has approved a licence for a Go Local convenience store, formerly known as The Cottage Shop, in Hetton-le-Hole.

The original application asked for permission for the daily off-sale of alcohol between 6am-10pm.

Yet the applicant later applied for reduced hours of 7am-9pm and the revised application was approved at a City Hall meeting.

An alcohol licence has been granted for a new Go Local convenience store in Hetton. Picture by LDRS.

placeholder image — An alcohol licence has been granted for a new Go Local convenience store in Hetton. Picture by LDRS.

The public hearing to assess the alcohol licence bid was triggered following four public objections after concerns were raised about noise nuisance and anti-social behaviour.

Neighbours feared groups would congregate around the shop and that this would lead to associated littering.

They also pointed out that the shop was near local schools.

There were also concerns raised about anti-social behaviour taking place in a walkway adjacent to the shop and concerns about the existing number of retailers licensed to sell alcohol in the area.

Councillors on the licensing sub-committee considered written public objections and heard representations from a member of the public and an agent for the applicant.

The applicant’s agent stressed there would be several measures to meet licensing objectives at the shop, from “robust CCTV” and checks on age-restricted products linked to the Challenge 25 scheme to staff training and conditions around proxy sales.

The applicant was described as an experienced operator of retail premises and it was noted that the alleyway near the shop referenced by objectors would be monitored by CCTV.

The committee was told the applicant had also signed and agreed to additional conditions and that Northumbria Police had no objections to the application.

The licensing sub-committee eventually approved the alcohol off-sales application with additional conditions.

These included signs advising limits on the number of unaccompanied school children entering the shop and asking customers to respect local residents and reduce noise.

If issues arise from the sale of alcohol in future, councillors were told that a review of the licence could take place.

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