Concerns over new store’s alcohol bid

POLICE have raised fears the opening hours proposed for a new mini supermarket could spark further crime and disorder on an already troubled Derby road.

Derby City Council has received a new premises licence application for a new European supermarket in Normanton Road, close to Grove Street car park.

The application calls for the shop, known as Fresh Oshee Supermarket, to sell alcohol from 6am until midnight – seven days a week. However, no signage for the store can yet be seen.

Any entertainment or retail venue selling or supplying alcohol must be licensed by law.

However, police have raised an official objection, stating the applied opening hours could fuel further street drinking problems in Normanton Road – an issue police say they receive frequent complaints about.

A letter to the council from Derbyshire police’s licensing department says: “The existing situation is that high strength alcohol is so readily available in the area already due to the high saturation of off licences.

“When officers or public protection officers take positive action with street drinking it is impossible to trace the premises which has sold the alcohol in the first place.

“The early and late opening hours of the premises would allow the opportunity for the street drinking fraternity in the area to have ready access to such alcohol for a large proportion of the day and this would lead to a likely increase in anti-social behaviour or street drinking despite him (the applicant) agreeing this was an issue in the area.”

In application documents submitted to the council, the applicant for the premises’ licence says a CCTV system has been installed to prevent crime and disorder in and outside the store.

Due to the police’s objection, a meeting has been called to discuss the matter in further detail.

The decision on whether the council grants the new premises licence will be made at the city’s General Licensing Sub Committee meeting scheduled on Monday, September 20.