A SHOP in Caerphilly will not be allowed to sell alcohol until midnight because of the potential impact on nearby residents and the local area.
Shopkeeper Amar Khehra had applied to sell booze for longer each day at the ‘8 Til Late’ general store on the town’s Bedwas Road.
Her son, Jatinder Khehra, told Caerphilly County Borough Council’s licensing committee the neighbourhood had seen the number of convenience stores grow from two to seven in recent years, hitting trade.
He said increased competition meant his family was reluctantly seeking extended hours for alcohol sales, beyond the existing times of 8am to 11pm Monday to Saturday, and 10am to 10.30pm on Sunday.
The proposed extension, allowing sales from 8am to midnight daily, would be aimed at working people such as taxi drivers finishing their shifts or staff returning home from factory jobs, he said.
Gwent Police offered no objections to the proposed extension but recommended extra conditions be added to ‘8 Til Late’s’ alcohol license, and PC Adrian Jones said the applicant had agreed to those terms ahead of the meeting.
But council environmental health officer Victoria Woodland said her department was concerned by plans to sell alcohol after 11pm in a “predominantly residential area”.
Allowing later sales at one store could lead to a “creep” in other businesses making similar moves to extend their own hours, the committee heard.
Mr Khehra said his family had operated a “community shop” in Bedwas Road for 42 years and was proud of their positive relationship with neighbours.
He said the shop had “never had any issues” with noise, and no neighbours had objected to the proposed extension during a recent consultation period.
Ms Woodland contended “the reason for the extended hours is to gain a competitive edge”, however, and said there are “other ways of making money” than selling alcohol when “people are trying to sleep at 11 o’clock at night”.
Environmental health instead proposed the supply of alcohol at the premises be limited to hours from 8am to 11pm daily – which the committee ultimately agreed with.
Members also heard about a “recent complaint” alleging ‘8 Til Late’ had been found selling alcohol past its existing licensable hours.
Mr Khehra told the committee he had “lost track” of the licence’s conditions at the time of the complaint.
Council trading standards officer Rhian Cross said her team had carried out an officer visit to the shop as a result of the complaint, adding that the premises had passed two subsequent checks when officers attempted to make test purchases.
‘8 Til Late’ will now be allowed to sell alcohol from 8am to 11pm each day.
