East Leeds corner shop granted 14-hour alcohol license application despite concerns of underage drinking

Halton Convenience Store, on Cross Green Lane, now has permission to sell alcohol from 9am until 11pm every day.

Leeds City Council had originally said on Tuesday that the store's licensing application had been withdrawn, as a public hearing to decide the matter on Tuesday was cancelled.

However, on Wednesday, the local authority corrected this information to confirm that the licence had in fact been granted, after three local councillors and West Yorkshire Police pulled their objections to the idea.

The shop had originally asked for permission to sell alcohol from 7.30am, but agreed to reduce the hours by 90 minutes a day following negotiations with the authorities.

The council said the store had also agreed to put in place a number of conditions at the police's request.

Labour councillors for the Temple Newsam ward, Debra Coupar, Helen Hayden and Nicole Sharpe had all originally objected to the licence being given as they raised the prospect of "youths" gathering and "anti-social behaviour in and around the grassed community area" outside the shop.

Responding to those concerns in writing, store boss Joginder Singh Panesar insisted he'd operate responsibly and that any large gatherings outside the store would be dispersed.

He also said he'd had 16 years' experience running an off-licence elsewhere with a clean record.