(Image: LDRS)
A city centre shop has been allowed alcohol sales despite fears over the impact of street drinking on nearby Kirkgate Market.
New York Street Convenience Store can sell drinks until 11pm after a premises licence was granted by Leeds City Council.
The council’s markets department raised a formal objection to the application.
But the licence was allowed after measures were agreed to prevent crime and nuisance behaviour.
Luke Elford, representing the applicant Rizak Ltd, said: “This application is not seeking to sell alcohol after 11pm.
“Even if it was, we would suggest it would be granted granted because of the robust measures put forward in the application and conditions agreed with responsible authorities.”
A licensing sub-committee was told the shop at 33 New York Street was in a Cumulative Impact Area (CIA), classed as suffering from high levels of alcohol-related harm.
Mr Elford said alcohol sales would fall outside of “core hours” when the area was worst affected.
Conditions on the licence would include restrictions on the strength of alcohol sold and no buying of single cans. CCTV and a challenge 25 policy would be in place.
Simon Hodgson, representing the council’s safer communities team, said work had been carried out to make the area safer and attract customers to nearby businesses.
He told the hearing: “Our concern is that granting a further licence for the sale of alcohol risks undermining those efforts.”
Leeds Markets said people were already drinking and shouting in the street from early morning onwards.
The objection letter said: “A number of the street drinking cohort come onto our premises and urinate on our building, congregate around the stalls on the outdoor market on a night where damage is sustained at a cost to the tax payer.”
A letter in response said the applicant would prevent people from congregating outside the premises.
It said: “Our client is a responsible licence holder who works in partnership with the authorities and other people to promote the licensing objectives.”
The 7am-11pm licence was granted following Tuesday’s hearing at Leeds Civic Hall.