By Don Mort, local democracy reporter
A shop close to the busy Five Lane Ends roundabout has been granted permission to sell alcohol – despite objections from people living nearby.
A licence application for the premises at 145 Oldfield Lane, Wortley, was approved by Leeds City Council today.
The applicant, Loghman Ahmadi, sought permission to sell alcohol between 7am and 11pm daily at the shop, set to be named Qwik Stop.
A licensing hearing was told 21 objections had been received, mainly on the grounds of public nuisance and public safety.
Concerns were raised over a lack of parking and road safety problems on the nearby Five Lane Ends roundabout.
Objectors also said there were pubs and other alcohol retailers within walking distance of the shop, which is near Five Lanes Primary School.
Nick Semper, representing the applicant, told Tuesday’s (June 18) hearing: “There is no history of disorder, noise complaints or indeed any other cause for concern.
“The applicant has no intention of selling alcohol to anyone who is drunk or anti-social.”
Coun Adrian McCluskey(Lab, Farnley and Wortley) was among those who made representations at the hearing.
He told councillors he had received a video showing somebody kicking down a council bollard near the shop.
He said: “It’s totally un-called for behaviour and it’s not acceptable.”
But Mr Semper said the person in the video was not connected to the premises.
He said: “This man was not the applicant, the designated premises supervisor or an employee or an agent of the applicant here today. They do not know who he is.”
Leeds City Council’s licensing sub-committee granted permission, subject to conditions agreed with West Yorkshire Police.
They included staff training records being kept, CCTV being checked weekly and regular checks of the outside area to avoid people gathering there at night.
Conditions also included the name of the shop not making reference to alcohol, and restrictions on displays on internal windows and the shop frontage.
A challenge 25 policy will also be in placed at the shop.
The shop was most recently an ice cream parlour and was previously a car sales showroom
A separate planning application to transform the building into a shop was submitted last month and is awaiting consideration by Leeds City Council’s planning department.
“There is no history of disorder, noise complaints or indeed any other cause for concern.” Well, yes because there isn’t a shop there!!! But when there is a shop selling alcohol then all this changes. A very bad decision and those making it should be held responsible for any negative consequences. I hope the business fails.
West Yorkshire Police are doing this a lot recently, putting faith in the business owners to make various checks and measures, all things we know won’t happen in practice. This siding with business individuals, rather than the wider community does the Force few favours, they don’t show much interests in the community’s concerns at the best of times, this is just more of the same.