A new speedy grocery delivery company in Hove has been granted an alcohol licence but not for the 24-hour operation that it wanted.
Getir faced opposition from Sussex Police and Brighton and Hove City Council to its plans to offer alcohol throughout the night.
It wanted to offer round-the-clock deliveries from its base in St Joseph’s Business Park, in St Joseph’s Mews, off Old Shoreham Road.
But council policy generally requires off-licences to close by 11pm outside the centre of Brighton.
And this was the closing time agreed by a council licensing panel made up of three councillors – Lizzie Deane, Dee Simson and Carol Theobald.
At a licensing panel hearing on Thursday 5 August, Getir’s licensing consultant Chris Nixon, of Knight Training, said that the policy was designed for shops where customers went in person, not people enjoying a drink delivered to their own home.
He said that restricting the hours would be similar to prohibition.
But the panel said in its decision letter that it recognised Sussex Police and council licensing officials’ concerns about late-night deliveries.
In particular the panel shared officials’ concerns about deliveries to parts of Brighton and Hove where policies are aimed at restricting new alcohol licences to drink-related crime and disorder.
They noted Getir’s comments that alcohol sales were a small but important part of its business and that trade peaked between 5pm and 9pm and decreased through the night.
The panel said: “The panel acknowledges the suite of conditions put forward by the applicant but share the concerns of the police and the licensing authority in relation to late-night deliveries of alcohol (to) challenging areas which have high numbers of visitors and could be described as tourist and party destinations.
“The panel has concerns that another outlet offering fast alcohol delivery late at night to these areas is likely to add to the problems of anti-social behaviour and crime and disorder already experienced in these areas.”
Getir can deliver alcohol from 9am to 11pm daily. All deliveries must be to a verifiable residential or business address.
All third-party delivery drivers must have the same level of training as Getir’s own drivers – and Getir must keep a record of all sales and deliveries for six months.
Another aspect of all this is that the Old Shoreham Road is a series of bleak warehouses of this sort. How did this come to be? It could be so much more pleasant.