Tesco granted licence for new store in Weymouth
Around 50 residents raised objections
Tesco has been granted a licence for its new store in Dorchester Road, Upwey – although fifty resident had objected.
Many said they feared late night refreshment sales could lead to anti-social behaviour in the area, extra traffic and noise.
The company told a licencing meeting that the application for a late night refreshment licence until midnight referred to hot drinks sales from a vending machine – although the store will also be able to sell alcohol to take away up from 6am until midnight.
The new, small store, will be on the site of the former Mazda Garage.
A panel of councillors was told that the Tesco Express store would be selling around 5,000 products of which approximately 80-110 would be alcohol with spirits kept behind the tills. The late-night refreshment would not be a fast food but a hot drink vending machine with payment at the tills. The hours sought in the application are the same as permitted by the planning permission.
Tesco solicitor Mr Jeremy Bark said the store’s staff would be fully trained for alcohol sales and would adhere to the ‘Think 25’ policy. In addition, a CCTV system would be installed which would cover the entrance, tills and alcohol section
Mr Bark said that Tesco wanted to become part of the local community and encouraged local people, whether customers or not, to speak to the store if any issues arose. He told the meeting that the store manager could attend a residents’ meeting if needed to.
The meeting heard from one resident who said she had already challenged young people drinking in a local play area. She feared that late night drink sale might make this worse and asked to store to consider a 11pm closure.
Others also asked for a 11pm closing time, fearing extra noise and disturbance from traffic up to midnight, claiming that alcohol sales until midnight might encourage people to travel to the new store when other outlets were closed.
One of the residents had written to the meeting to say: “The area is well provided by Broadwey Village Stores a few hundred yards walk away. The provision of such a store as a Tesco Express will not only impact on the immediate neighbourhood in a detrimental way but will also impact on the above village shop.”
Neither the police nor the council’s environmental health team had objected to the licence application.
In deciding to grant the licence the sub-committee said it had taken into account Tesco’s policies, procedures and staff training and believed they would be adequate to address resident’s concerns. Given that the store had not yet opened there was no direct evidence of anti-social behaviour.
Panel member said they were pleased Tesco were willing to meet with residents to discuss any issues which might arise and said that, should problems arise, it was possible to seek a review of the premises licence.