Convenience store at Shell station is highly inconvenient in the eyes of some residents

By Charlotte Lillywhite, Local Democracy Reporter

A Waitrose convenience store’s plans to sell alcohol 24 hours a day have worried residents, who fear antisocial behaviour in the area will increase.

Five residents, three councillors and an MP objected to plans to sell booze around the clock at Little Waitrose, at the Shell petrol station in Roehampton, which have been submitted to Wandsworth council.

The shop can currently sell alcohol until midnight on Sundays to Thursdays, and 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. Objectors claimed the area was already plagued by drinkers hanging around late at night, resulting in antisocial behaviour which disturbed residents, which would only get worse if the branch was allowed to sell booze 24 hours a day.

A joint objection from the three councillors for Roehampton, and Putney MP Fleur Anderson, signed by Labour councillor Graeme Henderson, cabinet member for health, said: “We believe any change in the hours alcohol could be sold to a 24/7 operation as being unnecessary and highly detrimental to the public safety of local residents and children.

“We have received strong representations from local residents and Fleur Anderson MP who are strongly opposed to any extension of the hours during which alcohol can be sold.”

A resident wrote: “There is already enough late night drinking in this area, with noise and litter being major factors impacting myself and other neighbours. With any extended selling hours for alcohol, it will mean the likely increase of others coming to the area and consequently more noise, litter and potential risk of harm to people and or property.”

Labour councillor Matthew Tiller told the council’s licensing hearing on Monday that extending booze sales at the shop would likely increase disruption and crime in an area “already struggling with antisocial activity and street drinking”. He said residents had reported fights and criminal damage on nearby streets.

Councillor Tiller said: “I know we have our fair share of antisocial behaviour already connected to drug taking and also to street drinking, and it really doesn’t need to be exacerbated by making alcohol any easier to obtain.”

But barrister Leo Charalambides, representing Shell UK, said the application included a “robust set of conditions” to avoid causing any problems in the area. He argued the shop would not be a magnet for drunk customers after nights out as it stocked more expensive products. No responsible authorities, including the Met Police, had objected to the plans.

Mr Charalambides said: “You can’t get safer than a petrol station at this site. It’s brightly lit, it’s covered by CCTV – internal, external – and has very sophisticated systems in place.”

He added: “The simple point is that there’s an operating schedule here that hasn’t been criticised, that has in fact been endorsed by the police, that’s been improved with the police’s help.

“Given that there are no criticisms of that operating schedule, there’s no reason why this premises cannot operate in a way to support the licensing objectives, be an asset in the local area, and, if in the unlikely event that that fails, it can be reviewed by your police and responsible authorities.”

Wandsworth council will publish its decision on the application in the coming days.

Pictured top: The Shell Waitrose in Roehampton (Picture: Google Street View)