A Bedford off-licence is seeking permission to sell alcohol for longer hours after coming under new ownership.
On Friday (13 March), the (Licensing Act 2003) Licensing Sub-Committee heard an application to extend alcohol sales at St Mary’s Post Office, 12–14 St Mary’s Street, from the current hours of 10am–11pm Monday to Saturday and midday–10.30pm on Sundays, to 6am–midnight every day.
Representing the applicant, Michael Feeney told councillors the premises had held an alcohol licence for many years, and there had been no record of enforcement action or complaints.
Cllr Colleen Atkins (Labour, Harpur) asked how long applicant Sivaharan Sivasubramaniam had been there.
Mr Feeney replied: “For about a month, so since February.”
Cllr Atkins said the history of no complaints isn’t relevant to this particular applicant.
Mr Feeney said: “It’s relevant to the extent that there’s been no issues in the last month.
“But I would also say that it shows that this is an area that’s suitable for an off-license, that there’s been an off-license for a long time, and that off-license hasn’t caused any particular concerns or issues.”
He added that the application, if approved, would also replace older licence conditions with modern controls, including CCTV, staff training, incident and refusals logs, and the Challenge 25 age-verification scheme.
Additional restrictions proposed during the consultation include a ban on selling single cans below 600ml, and on beers or ciders above 6.5 per cent ABV, except for Guinness Export and Dragon Stout.
The applicant told councillors the shop mainly sells groceries, with alcohol a secondary part of the business.
The council received one objection from a member of the public, raising concerns about possible noise and people loitering outside the premises.
No responsible authorities, including the police or environmental health, objected to the application.
The licensing sub-committee is expected to issue its decision in writing within five working days of the hearing.
by John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
