Harehills shop refused alcohol licence due to area’s street drinking problems

An off-licence in Harehills has been denied permission to sell alcohol in a shop, following concerns from authorities that it could cause further street drinking problems in the area.
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Zuber Mini Market, in Seaforth Place, wanted permission to sell alcohol seven days a week from 7am-10.30pm.

At a meeting last week, councillors and police officers claimed such a move would only worsen the area’s problems with drink-related crime and antisocial behaviour, and that more shops selling alcohol would simply drive down the price of drink in Harehills.

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But a licensing lawyer speaking on behalf of the applicants warned such a decision would be an ‘iron curtain’ of council control, restricting legitimate businesses from selling alcohol in certain areas.

The shop is situated just off Harehills Lane.The shop is situated just off Harehills Lane.
The shop is situated just off Harehills Lane.

Leeds City Council has confirmed today that the application was refused by its licensing sub-committee.

Harehills is subject to a cumulative impact policy (CIP), which is intended to make it more difficult for businesses to be granted new alcohol licences in areas with high rates of drink-related crime and antisocial behaviour.

Nick Semper, representing the applicant, told the committee on Tuesday, September 22: “I have read the application, and the police report which criticizes some of its contents, and I take those points.

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“A CIP does not lead to an automatic blanket ban on the issuing of new licences. It is impossible to show that there will be no impact, because nobody has a crystal ball.

“There are 31 conditions offered as part of this application. CIPs provide a powerful filter for substandard applications, and this is not a substandard application.

“In the case of a blanket ban, (CIPs) can shut out new, responsible operators,” he added. “The licensing act is very much at odds with this iron curtain approach. Each application should be taken on its own merits.

“The police tell us there are already many off licences operating in the area – would one more seriously impact the licensing objectives?

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“This is truly a tiny shop. My front room is bigger than that shop.”

He went on to state the shop would not sell high strength alcoholic drinks favoured by street drinkers, and that the shop would use “really sticky price labels” to ensure alcohol finding its way from the shop to street drinkers can be identified.

However, authorities spoke out against the plans.

Police licensing officer Andy Clifford told the meeting: “I’ve picked up on this talk of ‘one more tiny off licence’ but the fact remains that there are a lot of off licences in the area and one more will inevitably impact on that.

“Mr Semper talks about traditional street drinkers which is an issue – I have found, when I walk round Harehills, that you have a culture of social drinking, and it is not the alcohol-dependent people. You have groups of men standing by the bins directly outside off licences drinking and smoking as if it was a bar.

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“There aren’t traditional street drinkers, but they are still drunk and still boisterous and they are drinking other kinds of alcohol, not just high percentage cheap alcohol.

“Myself, colleagues, councillors and local residents who frequently attend the streets in this area have seen the real physical impact street drinking and the concentration of off licences has on people and businesses every day.”

Fred Winster, the neighbourhood policing sergeant for the local area, added: “There are issues with noise nuisance, litter, people feeling intimidated when they go to the shops. There have been issues with violence and incidents with disorder directly connected to the public consumption of alcohol.”

He added the vast majority of problem drinkers in Harehills lived outside the area, and travel to Harehills to drink because of cheap alcohol available in the area.

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Leeds City Council officer Peter Mudge told the meeting: “There are many children living in the vicinity, and opening another off licence sets a nationally recognised bad precedent for their upbringing.”

Coun Salma Arif (Lab, Gipton and Harehills) said: “Approximately 70 percent of shops on Harehills Lane sell some form of alcohol. This is a neighbourhood where people face some of the most complex social and economic challenges in the country – these have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Imagine the cans, urine and sight of human excrement and broken glass greeting you as you walk to school – this is unfortunately a reality for people in Harehills.

“It’s all day, around the clock, because we have got so many off licences that are selling for 24 hours. It is effectively non-stop at the moment.”

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Responding to the concerns, Mr Semper said: “All these problems cannot be laid at the feet of the applicant, who has sold zero alcohol products to date.

“We have heard lots of references to Harehills not needing anymore off licences – that is the iron curtain coming clanging down.

“You cannot bring a blanket ban on new applications under a new CIP.

“If you want, we’ll place signs outside telling people not to loiter. We will, for cans of beer, cider and lager, offer 50 pence per unit of alcohol minimum pricing, like they do in Scotland.

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“We have offered robust conditions to ensure it is unlikely it will add negative impacts.”

Following the representations, the meeting was told a decision would be made within five working days. The decision was made public today.

A statement from Leeds City Council read: “Having heard detailed and compelling evidence from those tasked with policing the area, from other responsible authorities and from a local ward member as to the nature and extent of the problems and the steps being taken to alleviate them and improve the area, the Committee was of the view that granting the application would in all likelihood make matters worse – especially in the immediate vicinity. It therefore resolved to refuse the application.”

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