Shop gets alcohol licence despite objections from some residents

A COVENTRY shop has been given a licence to sell alcohol despite residents’ concerns street drinkers are ‘smashing bottles, and urinating on our pavements.’

An application was brought to Coventry City Council’s licensing committee to sell alcohol at Country Shop, at 72 Bramble Street, near to Fargo Village.

However it led to eight objections from neighbouring residents.

One, speaking at the council meeting, said drinking on streets was already an issue in the area with “people drinking early, people smashing bottles, and urinating on our pavements”, adding another outlet selling alcohol would make the problem worse.

“We don’t believe the locals will benefit from another store in our neighbourhood,” resident Mr Kizilkaya said.

“Try and have a walk in our streets and you will see how dirty it is. It is not the people that live there but the people that come to the area attracted by the amount of shops in Far Gosford Street and this area.”

Another, Tobias Sadler, said the neighbourhood has “become less safe” due to issues with street drinking, adding: “This shouldn’t be the case. We should feel safe on our streets.”

Applicant Eveline Buma Vulielie said: “The police have been to the shop to talk about the conditions they would like me to abide to whilst selling alcohol in my shop and I have accepted all the conditions.

“I have experience in selling alcohol. I also did a course for a personal licence which is the precondition for a premises licence.

“I’m just trying to grow the business, not make the area unbearable as the residents are complaining.”

The original application was to sell alcohol between 8am-10pm Monday to Thursday, 8am-11pm Friday to Saturday, and 10am till 8pm on Sunday.

West Midlands Police raised no objection provided sale was restricted to 8am-10pm and CCTV was installed inside the premises.