Alcohol licence can help store to survive
Greenhills McColls claim booze green light is crucial
A Greenhills shop has been handed an alcohol licence – a move which bosses hope will save the store.
The McColls branch in Greenhills Square will now be able to sell booze after parent company Martin McColl Limited had the request approved.
The licence was granted on condition that a new CCTV camera would be in operation at all times outside the store; that there are no home deliveries of alcohol from the outlet; and that the shutters are closed over the alcohol when it is not on sale.
The licence was also granted with a ban on the sale of cheap ciders and fortified wines.
McColls will now be able to sell alcohol between 10am and 8pm – a move which, they hope, will help them compete with nearby Iceland and Costcutter who had licences granted last year.
A spokesman for Martin McColls stated that, without the ability to sell alcohol like their nearby rivals, the store could not be profitable, and the jobs of seven members of staff would be at risk.
“As with any convenience store, the aim is to provide customers with a one-stop top-up shop, and a small alcohol provision is important to that,” the spokesman said.
“It’s very difficult to compete with stores who can sell food and wine, and this applies particularly to this branch where nearby Iceland and Costcutter have been granted licences.
“This gives competitors a huge and unfair advantage. I’ve been told that if a level playing field could not be attained, it is likely this store will be put on a list for closure.”
However, the bill was met with some controversy, with 16 letters of rejection against the proposal – including a letter from nearby Greenhills Parish Church.
East Kilbride South councillor Archie Buchanan raised concerns that the application would increase litter and anti-social behaviour.
“There are large groups of teenagers who congregate outside of these stores that already have a licence,” he said, “and I have seen bottles and cans littered around the square since the granting of a recent application.
“We have problems already in the area, and the last thing we need is another store selling alcohol.
“The approval of this will do our community a disservice.”
However, McColls defended themselves, adding: “Whatever social problems there are in this area, they aren’t caused by us. We don’t have a licence.
“We should not be punished for the sins of any other operators.
“While we respect the fears of the objectors, it can’t be said that the granting of this application would mean teenagers on the rampage, or that it would turn Greenhills into a ghetto.
“I doubt that would be the case.”