Councillors oppose Peterborough off-licence application over fears residents are already 'afraid to leave their homes'

A Peterborough councillor is fighting to oppose an application for a new off-licence on Burghley Road to be able to sell alcohol.

An application has been made by Hana Express Store at 2 Burghley Road- which was previously the Glass Onion and Creations Lounge- to serve alcohol between 7am and midnight daily.

The shop has stated that CCTV will be in place and that no super-strength beers, lagers, ciders (above 6.5 percent) will be on sale but a number of representations against the proposal, such as the one from Central ward councillor Mohammed Jamil on behalf of the three ward councillors.

Cllr Jamil said: “Our ward is saturated with shops that sell alcohol. There is no point in having a Cumulative Impact Policy (CIP) if we are then going to grant licences. Granting a licence for this establishment would defeat the object.

“If a Licence is granted to this shop then this would lead to further crime and disorder to this part of the city. We are already struggling to stamp out problems with prostitution, drugs and anti-Social Behaviour in and around Burghley Road. The sale of any alcohol would add to an already ticking bomb.

"Residents often tell us that people who frequent the area often use residents front gardens to defecate or urinate. There is no respect for people’s private property. Passers by are often asked if they are “working girls” and the sale of alcohol will

only bring in more undesirables elements to this area.

"Residents are afraid to go out of their house at certain times of the day and night. We need to stop this licence being granted in order to prevent a public nuisance adding to the existing problems.

"The area is often strewn with drug paraphernalia, bottles, cans, condoms and excrement.”

Burghley Road is subject to a Pubic Spaces Protection order- implemented in 2017- to enable police and council officers to disperse people consuming alcohol or engaging in anti-social behaviour from the area.

Stats from Police.uk showed that Burghley Road and the surrounding areas of Granville Street, Henry Street, Nursery Close, part of Park Road, Towler Street and St Mark’s Street saw 212 crimes reported from May 2022 to April 2023.

These included criminal damage, public order, antisocial behaviour (ASB), violence and sexual offences, drugs and other crimes.

Peterborough City Council’s Safer Communities service added: “Our service has received telephone and email contact from six concerned residents in response to this premises licence application, reporting that they have significant concerns that additional sales of alcohol for consumption off the premises will contribute further to the current levels of crime and anti-social behaviour in this residential area.

Given the seriousness of some of the criminality in this area, they are also fearful of reprisals from publicly declaring their objections to this licence application.

It also raised fears that the sale of alcohol could extend to 24 hours after the shop installed an open 24 hours sign, however, this has since been amended.

The application will be decided by the city council’s Licencing Act 2003 Sub-Committee, which sits on Wednesday (July 12) at 1:30pm.