138 Gloucester Road
Proposed relevant licensable activities to be carried on or from the premises:
Sale of Alcohol Monday to Sunday 06:00 – 00:00 Opening hours applied for: Monday to Sunday 06:00 - 00:00
The response by the Bishopston Society to the Council about this application reads as follows:
The Bishopston Society would like to register its objection to the above application.138 Gloucester Road Proposed relevant licensable activities to be carried on or from the premises: Sale of Alcohol Monday to Sunday 06:00 – 00:00 Opening hours applied for: Monday to Sunday 06:00 - 00:00
The premises fall within the Gloucester Road Cumulative Impact Area (CIA). The CIA, which was asked for by the Police, and was adopted after much consultation on 1st August 2010 as a result of significant public nuisance in the area associated with licensed premises. The policy for CIAs is based on evidence that, in particular, the sale of alcohol has led to a fall in the quality of life for local residents as a result of noise, littering, vandalism, public disorder, criminal damage and other forms of anti-social behaviour including vomiting and public urination.
Under the terms of the CIA policy, it is assumed that the impact of licensed premises is cumulative and that, in particular, it is not always possible to determine the source of the individuals causing the public nuisance. It is therefore accepted that objectors to new or extended licences do not need to provide specific evidence of public nuisance attached to a particular premises although a log of incidents which happened with in one short timespan last year is attached. We have no doubt that the opening hours sought through this application would exacerbate the existing problems by providing more late night alcohol for sale in a mixed area, with residential properties in close proximity. Would it not run counter the Council's own Licensing Policy to approve an application of this nature? The CIA was imposed on the area partly in recognition of the fact that alcohol misuse has resulted in chronic antisocial behaviour listed above which has had an unacceptable nuisance impact on local residents. Longer opening hours of this establishment would have a negative impact on Crime and Disorder, which is one of the licensing objectives within the CIA.
One of our members has expressed concern about the street drinkers who hang around the bus stop opposite the store, from early morning - you must agree that they don't need another source of supply.
We objected to the application made previously for this property by Shamim's Budgens. However this was granted for hours which far exceeded the hours previously granted to Oddbins. Since the licence for Shamim's Budgins has never been operational, we believe this falls and so we base our objections on the hours operated by Oddbins.
Whilst the extension of hours for selling of alcohol may be a new facility, it is not one which is desired in the area and will, we fear, risk further nuisance and public disorder and squalor. You may be aware of the 'normal' Saturday and worse still Sunday morning rubbish, filth and unpleasantness which now extends from Stokes Croft, up the Cheltenham Road to the CIA of the Gloucester Road and into the side roads. You may have seen the effects of late night drinking on the Gloucester Road and feeder roads early on a Saturday and Sunday mornings before the council cleaners have done their job. You may be aware that rats have been seen as late as mid morning in the local area cleaning up food and sick that has been left/dropped by party goers.
We request that this application is refused.