A PROPOSAL to extend opening hours at a Hanwell supermarket has been shot down over fears that the sale of alcohol would create more anti-social behaviour.
Ealing Council’s licensing sub-committee met on Monday morning to decide on an application from Sunrise Supermarket in Uxbridge Road. The site, which sells alcohol until 1am, asked for permission to sell it until 5am every night of the week.
But the committee received objections from local police amid concerns it would generate extra hassle and disruption for residents.
Constable Les Smith, licensing officer for Ealing Police, said in a report that the area already had a problem with street drinking and added he was opposed to the proposal: “I feel that the likely impact of these extra hours would be additional noise nuisance and anti-social behaviour from customers arriving in vehicles, with car doors banging and engines revving.
“There will also be a greater chance of the street drinking community attempting to purchase alcohol in the early hours of the morning nearby. I believe the premise and staff will become vulnerable and need some extra security measures to be placed in order to satisfy and actively promote the licensing objectives.”
The sub-committee also received a letter of objection from Nigel Bakhai, councillor for Elthorne ward. He said: “This part of Elthorne already has a serious problem with large numbers of street drinkers, most notably in the area in front of the nearby Lidl store and the garden of St Mellitus Church and the associated nuisance resulting from their anti-social behaviour in the area such as litter, fighting, begging and public urination.
“The Elthorne safer neighbourhood police team already has one of the highest rates of alcohol confiscation and arrests relating to alcohol abuse, and any extension in licensing hours that would further compound the current problems in Hanwell centre should be resisted.”
A spokeswoman for Ealing Council said: “The application to extend the hours was refused.
“The reason for the decision was that the sub-committee was satisfied that there was a correlation between the incidents of crime and disorder in this area and the sale of alcohol.
“Consequently, the application was refused in accordance with the licensing objective of the prevention of crime and disorder.”
