Objections as Hartlepool store applies for alcohol licence

Mr Sultan Mahmood Goher submitted an application to Hartlepool Borough Council to allow Bargains Locally, in Oxford Road, to sell alcohol.

The application is to enable the store to sell alcohol between 9am and 10pm, seven days a week.

However two objections have been lodged from residents living nearby.

One resident said: “Considering that in less than 300m we have three premises that sell alcohol, I do not think this warrants a licence.

“The area is already plagued with crime, drugs and alcohol, with people littering.”

The other objection stated their concerns were an increase in crime, disorder and public nuisance due to the sale and consumption of alcohol late at night near the premises.

The council’s Licensing Sub-Committee will decided on the application on February 13.

A council report states the premises had previously been licensed to sell alcohol – which was revoked by a licensing committee in 2016 after a review brought by Hartlepool Borough Council’s Trading Standards Team.

The review was due to sales of counterfeit tobacco at the premises, according to the report.

The licence holder at that time was Mr Kamil Faraj Amin but the exact ownership of the business was never established.

The owner of the property itself was, and still is, Mr Irfan Johar, who is the applicant’s brother.

The applicant has offered to undertake a number of actions/obligations which, if granted, would become legally binding conditions on the licence.

These include a comprehensive CCTV system and a ‘Challenge-25’ age verification policy.

The application states: “The business must maintain a refusals book to record all occasions where the supply of alcohol has been refused including dates/times, staff member and description of the incident.

“Groups of people will be discouraged from congregating outside the premises.

“Signage will be displayed to encourage customers to leave the premises quietly.

“Regular checks shall be made by staff for litter outside the premises.”

Roller blind shutters would also be installed to cover the shop’s alcohol display from 6am and 9am as part of the application, with the store open from 6am until 10pm.