Alcohol licence for city centre store approved

A new Tesco Express branch has been given permission to sell alcohol between 06:00 and midnight despite concerns over public health.

Sheffield City Council's licensing sub-committee approved an application for the store at the Velocity Village development in Tenter Street on Tuesday.

Councillors heard objections from Sheffield Children's Safeguarding Partnership who asked Tesco to adhere to a voluntary agreement with city centre off-licences restricting sales of alcohol to certain times.

However, Tesco's solicitor said the firm was not aware of the agreement and it was not mentioned when he dealt with a nearby licence application.

Maureen Hennessy, licensing officer for Sheffield Children's Safeguarding Partnership, said their objection was related to child protection

"We have a voluntary agreement for the city centre off licences. We ask that they do not sell alcohol before 8am and after 11pm.

"It would be unfair and not equitable for me not to ask for Tesco to adhere to that voluntary agreement for their application."

She said the location was within a high population of student accommodation who they class as young people.

Hennessy said the store would also be close to alcohol support services and their clients might pass by.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Jeremy Bark, a solicitor representing Tesco, asked: "If it's a voluntary agreement, who's signed up to it?"

He said the firm's other city centre stores had licences to sell alcohol at a range of differing times and and added that "public health is not a licensing objective".

He said the shop was aimed at people working or living locally and that alcohol sales were a small part of the products offered.

Bark added that the company makes extensive checks on alcohol sales, including at self-service till points, and pioneered the Think 21 scheme for staff to decide whether someone looks under 18.

A legal officer for the council, Samantha Bond, confirmed that any voluntary agreement was not part of council policy or government guidance.

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