Supermarket chain seeks licence for new branch in Brighton

Sainsbury’s looks likely to be granted a drinks licence for its new branch in Brighton after talks with Sussex Police.

Both sides agreed a number of draft licence conditions, prompting the police to withdraw their objection to the supermarket chain’s application to Brighton and Hove City Council.

The draft conditions included not selling super-strength beer and cider and deploying security staff on bank holiday weekends, football match days and other occasions such as Pride weekend.

Nine neighbours had objected to the licence application but a council licensing panel – made up of three councillors – was told that one of those had dropped their opposition.

Sainsbury’s wants a premises licence for the new branch in Makerfield, off Lewes Road. The store is still being built as part of the ground floor of a new block on the old Preston Barracks site.

Neighbours objected to the proposed 11pm closing time and had concerns about anti-social behaviour, particularly in an open space that has been planned as part of the new development.

Sainbury’s solicitor Robert Botkai said that the police had not objected to the proposed hours, with alcohol expected to be on sale from 7am to 11pm daily. He said that this was consistent with the council’s licensing policy.

He said that the store would be an “unusually small” Sainsbury’s Local, offering a one-stop-shop for groceries for the neighbouring community, including students and permanent residents.

Mr Botkai said: “We don’t expect any passing trade, as in traffic. Nobody would stop on the road outside this store and park and come in.

“We don’t expect much passing pedestrian traffic either. I’ve walked the streets. I’ve walked from the big Sainsbury’s. I’ve walked to this location. It’s a completely different locality here.

“There is an Aldi licence – 7am to 11pm – but that’s within a retail park and you would expect perhaps more difficulties in terms of attracting people who might be hanging around.”

He said that if neighbours had any concerns once the branch opened, they could contact the store manager. And if problems continued, the council could be asked to review the licence.

If people in the area wanted late-night alcohol, then a small nearby off-licence along Lewes Road was open until 2am at weekends.

Sainbury’s licensing manager Joanna Surguy urged the panel to keep the licensing hours in line with the opening hours.

She said: “Where we have other stores where they have an hour less in the evening and the store opens a longer hour, we do find that sometimes colleagues can face a lot of confrontation and usually it causes more issues.

“Someone might come into the shop and want to pick up a bottle of wine at 10.05pm. There might be an issue there which is why we want to trade the store until 11pm.”

Staff at the store would have body-worn cameras to record any incidents.

The panel retired to make its decision which should be published within five working days.