A York shop owner has said he will do his best to prevent nuisance behaviour from alcohol sales after being granted a licence amid concerns from residents.
York councillors granted a licence to Klodian Dervishi to sell alcohol from his convenience store in the former NatWest bank branch in Main Street, Heslington, yesterday (Thursday).
Mr Dervishi told councillors plans to sell alcohol till 8pm six days a week would prevent disturbances later at night and customers would be encouraged to behave responsibly.
But Nicholas Allen, of the Heslington Village Trust, said it could see the quiet village atmosphere disturbed in the evening by people drinking outside the shop.
The granting of the licence comes after the council approved Mr Dervishi’s planning application to convert the former bank at 14 Main Street into a convenience store in November.
Approval of the licence means the store can sell alcohol for off-premises consumption from 8am to 8pm Monday to Saturday and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays.
Mr Dervishi said he was aiming to fill a gap in the local area for a convenience store, with alcohol accounting for about a fifth of sales.
He added alcohol would likely account for around a fifth of his overall sales and he planned to put a bin in front of his shop to deter littering.
The store owner said: “We’re concentrating on serving the local community and we will try our best to manage individuals’ behaviour, it doesn’t benefit us to have anti-social behaviour.
“This is a quiet, semi-rural village, I can’t guarantee that we won’t have any problems but I’m not expecting us to have the same type of issues that shops in other areas of York have.”
Heslington Village Trust’s objection was the only one lodged against the application after North Yorkshire Police withdrew theirs following an agreement with Mr Dervishi to include extra licensing conditions.
Trust trustee Mr Allen said locals were concerned approving the licence would set a dangerous precedent.
The objector said: “After 5.30pm, when all but the pubs have closed, Main Street reverts to a quiet, calm village street.
“It is reasonable to assume that students rather than residents are the target market and and one can envisage a signifcant increase in foot traffic to and from the shop and customers hanging around outside the shop, possibly drinking purchases they have just made.”