Cambridge Tesco blocked from selling alcohol

A Tesco store in Cambridge has been blocked from selling alcohol after locals shared their worries about anti-social behaviour in the area. Tesco had applied to Cambridge City Council for a licence to sell alcohol at its store in East Road. However, the city council refused the application citing the concerns raised by people in the area about “disorderly behaviour” as one of the reasons behind the decision.

This was the fourth time Tesco had tried to gain a licence to sell alcohol from the East Road store; all three previous attempts were refused by the city council. The latest application asked for permission to sell alcohol between 11am and 8pm from Monday to Sunday. Representatives of Tesco said extra measures had been put in place since the previous applications to help staff manage customers. No objections to the proposed licence were raised by the police, or any of the other responsible authorities.

However, a number of people living nearby raised concerns about another shop in the area being able to sell alcohol. Some claimed the area was already facing problems of street drinkers and anti-social behaviour. One person said: “I witness too much alcohol-related anti-social behaviour, crime and disorder. If Tesco is allowed to sell alcohol, the situation will only worsen; and of course, there are already too many alcohol outlets in such a small part of Cambridge.”

Read more: Deprived Cambridge areas to learn fate of £54m revamp project soon

Read more: Milton Road project Copenhagen-style crossing opens in Cambridge

One parent said “frequent incidents” of “alcohol-related anti-social behaviour” along East Road meant they had told their children to “avoid the area altogether”. Others objecting to the application for an alcohol licence highlighted that the shop is opposite a primary school and located near to Jimmy’s Night Shelter where they said there were “vulnerable” people staying.

Councillor Richard Robertson, the ward councillor for Petersfield, also raised concerns about the licence, claiming there were existing problems with people “misusing alcohol” outside the shop. He said: “It is a residential area, the fewer stores that have a licence to sell alcohol the better.”

However, representatives of Tesco highlighted that no concerns had been raised by police that the application would have an impact on anti-social behaviour in the area. At a licensing sub-committee meeting this week (June 3), a representative of Tesco said: “If the police had any concerns about this application at all they would have objected, that is their role.”

The representative also addressed the concerns raised about people drinking in the street outside the shop. They said for the last couple years the store had been tackling this issue and explained that when street drinkers or people who were homeless came to sit outside the shop, they would be asked to move by staff. They said the shop can now go “days on end” having nobody sitting outside the store.

The representative also highlighted some of the best practice policies they said Tesco had in place, including the ‘Think 25’ where staff ask for ID from people they think look under 25. They also told councillors the company aims to “empower staff to refuse alcohol sales if they have any concerns” and said there were no incentives for staff to sell alcohol.

They said the shop was not a “traditional” off licence explaining that alcohol sales in these size Tesco stores made up around five to 12 per cent of total sales. The representative said staff in Tesco stores do not tolerate anti-social behaviour and anyone behaving in a negative way would be asked to stop and asked to leave if they continued. They added that staff would be prepared to call police and ban people from the shop if needed.

The representative went on to explain that Tesco had put in extra measures since the company had last asked for an alcohol licence for this store. They said these measures included staff having control over the doors, enabling them at times to be able to decide who can come into the shop, and explained that there was a panic alarm button staff could press if needed.

However, after considering the application in private, the sub-committee announced it would be refusing the application. Councillor Russ McPherson, chair of the sub-committee, highlighted a number of reasons behind the decision, including that they did not think the applicant had shown that granting the licence would not negatively affect the Cumulative Impact Zone.

He highlighted comments he said had been made by the police area commander that the Cumulative Impact Policy was “necessary and proportionate to prevent crime, disorder, and nuisance”. Cllr McPherson said: “The security provisions by the premises are indicative of a higher security risk associated with the sale of alcohol, which in itself would not meet the four licensing objectives.

“There have also been representations from local residents and local ward councillors, from cross parties. In particular it has been reported that there were incidents of public nuisance and disorderly behaviour in the local children’s playground, as referred to by ward councillors and residents’ representations.”

Cllr McPherson added that the location of the shop opposite a primary school was a concern. He also said there were “vulnerable persons in the vicinity” at Jimmy’s Night Shelter, and said this “could increase incidents of anti-social behaviour”. Tesco can appeal against the decision to refuse the licence, but must do so within 21 days of it being issued by the city council.