A garage hoping to be able to sell alcohol from its off-licence 24-hours a day with an option for delivery is facing rejection by the council for the sake of the “prevention of public nuisance”.
BP Oil UK Ltd has applied to Bucks Council for a variation of its premises licence at Buckingham Simply Food Connect, on Stratford Road (A422), in Buckingham – but a change to the filling station licence would be “disturbing and distressing” for locals, objectors have argued.
A licence permitting alcohol sales “for consumption off the premises” was granted in 2005.
This application proposes to “extend the hours for the sale of alcohol” to 24-hours a day.
Further, between midnight and 8am alcohol sales would be “for delivery only”.
Resident: 'The social impacts of granting this change in license are of serious concern'
Current hours for alcohol sales are from 8am-11pm, daily, with “late-night refreshment” available between 11pm-5am.
Twenty objections were submitted during a 28-day consultation, mainly concerning the “prevention of public nuisance”.
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One objector wrote: “The social impacts of granting this change in license are of serious concern, especially [as] this is a garage, and primarily used by motorists for refuelling.
“The sale of intoxicating substances in garages is problematic given the dangers of drink-driving.
“The garage is surrounded by residences which are by-and-large inhabited by older people, for whom additional late-night business would be disturbing and distressing.”
“Signage shall be displayed at the entry and exit of the site to request that customers consider and respect those local residents living in the immediate vicinity,” BP Oil UK Ltd wrote.
“Applications to open beyond midnight will normally be refused, unless the applicant satisfies the licensing authority that it can operate without harming the licensing objectives, and any application to open beyond 1.30am will be refused,” council documents state.
It adds, ‘it is recommended that this application be refused’.
It also references “the right of residents to peace and quiet and in general [the licensing authority] will take a stricter approach to licensing hours in areas of higher residential density”.
The matter will be discussed during a licensing sub-committee hearing, on June 15.
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