By David Spereall, local democracy reporter
An Armley newsagents has been denied permission to sell alcohol by Leeds City Council, following a backlash by the local community.
Town Street News, on Town Street, had applied for a licence to sell booze for 16 hours a day, but 35 neighbours signed a petition against the idea.
Objectors cited fears about the impact on crime in the community, with one saying he’d been threatened by drunks in the street.
At a licensing hearing on November 2, the shop’s representatives insisted crime in the area was “remarkably low” and that residents’ concerns were “well meant” but “misguided”.
The shop lies just 0.3 miles outside of Leeds’ cumulative impact zone, which places restrictions on new premises licences.
No decision on the licence was revealed on the day of the hearing, but now the council has confirmed the application was rejected.
It has not explained the reasons why, however.
Armley Labour councillor Lou Cunningham, who spoke out in opposition to the application at the hearing, welcomed the news.
She said: “I’m delighted that the committee were in agreement with the objections placed and also to the members of the Armley community who voiced their concerns and attended the hearing with me.”
The shop is entitled to appeal the decision.
Seems a good decision to me. There won’t be any demand for alcohol anyway: With high energy and food prices everyone will be prioritising those, obviously, so won’t have spare money for booze…cough.