Little Waitrose 24/7 booze plans spark fear among 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.
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.”
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, 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: Shell Little Waitrose Roehampton (Picture: Google Street View)
