Now contains additional information from LOOH.

The Hearing Panel considered a report from the Director of Planning, Building Control and Licensing.  The Hearing Panel also considered the written papers of the parties and the oral representations of the parties in attendance as well as the relevant legislation.

The legal advisor to the Hearing Panel addressed all attendees present for the hearing to confirm that the evidence base used for the Cumulative Impact Policy (CIP) for the Fallowfield and Withington area was no longer current. The Hearing Panel’s decision today would be based on what had been presented to them but they would not be able to consider whether the application had any “exceptional circumstances” as referred to within the policy.

The applicant’s agent asked where exceptional circumstances were referred to in the policy and the legal advisor stated it was at point 4.7, giving reference to a reason to depart from the policy.

The applicant’s agent addressed the Hearing Panel and stated that this was an application for a convenience store situated within a precinct of shops. Previously a kebab shop, which may have been a licenced premises within the CIP zone and therefore, this would not constitute an additional licenced premises if granted today and would be more of a “one in one out” scenario. The unit was empty when the applicants took it on. The applicants are hoping to run the store as a franchise under Go Local, a national store, but will require an alcohol licence to do so. Shoppers often supplement their weekly shop by visiting convenience stores and expect alcohol to be available. If this is not the case it is then likely that shoppers will leave the premises without buying anything and go elsewhere for all of these top-up goods. Alcohol would be 10-15% of the stock within this store, not a huge money maker for the operation but essential due to the previous comments. There are 2 other off-licences in the area but no other convenience stores. Alcohol would not be sold cheaply and no bulk-buy offers would be available as it was not expected that alcohol would be the main thing on the consumer’s shopping list. The two applicants (Mr Kaleem and Ms Mahmood) are asking for reasonable trading hours of 8:00 to 00:00midnight to fit in with the aims of the CIP. Mr Kaleem is experienced and has previously been an S.I.A. badge holder/door attendant. Ms Mahmood is in the process of obtaining her personal licence. The CIP is based on information from 2012 and, while this is not wholly irrelevant to current times, it is felt that the application addresses the impacts within the policy. The main components of the CIP are around students and their behaviour, centring on their ability to gain access to alcohol, particularly in the early hours of the morning. There is no reference to convenient stores within the CIP. The applicants attempted to get information from responsible authorities in September 2022 to help them draft the application around the CIP and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.