A shop’s neighbour objected to the owner’s application for a drinks licence because of the number of sixth formers who pass the shop.
Isteph Ayoub, 24, wants his new business, the Dials Convenience Store, at 157 Dyke Road, Hove, to be able to operate as an off-licence, with an alcohol licence from 8am to 11pm daily.
But a Brighton and Hove City Council licensing panel was told that the area was already “saturated” with premises selling alcohol.
And the council’s licensing policy restricts new off-licences in the area.
At the licensing panel hearing today (Tuesday 10 March), neighbour Helen Patrick said that a high number of students from Brighton, Hove And Sussex VI Form College (BHASVIC) go past the premises.
She said: “There is a high flow of BHASVIC students that are always passing through which should be a consideration with a shop selling alcohol for 15 hours a day, seven days a week.
“There’s a lot of alcohol premises already. I think it draws people to the area, which already has a lot of stress, but it’s the high flow of young people under the age of 19 or 18.”
Another neighbour Daniel Bedran, spoke in support of the application, saying that he had moved to the Seven Dials a year ago because he felt it was a safe community for his family.
He said: “The timing is well within reasonable bounds and it’s not going to be booze-led. They’re not trying to open a bar here.
“With the students and the footfall, I don’t see an issue with that.”
Mr Ayoub was represented by Kerollos Brais who said that an alcohol licence would help make the new convenience store viable.
Before the licensing panel hearing, he said that “robust” draft conditions had been agreed with Sussex Police – and the police did not object to the application.
The draft conditions would rule out stocking single cans or high-strength beers and ciders.
Mr Brais said that, for the past five years, Mr Ayoub had run the Lodge Store, in nearby Prestonville Road, without any incidents or licence reviews.
After checking Sussex Police figures, he said that there were no police incidents in the Seven Dials from last October to January this year.
He said: “There is no identified history of disorder or any other form of problems involving the applicant or the premises.
“There have been 14 objections to the application. However, there have been 44 other supporters from the community who support the application.”
Mr Brais said that the other supporting comments had been shared with the panel of three councillors – Julie Cattell, Paul Nann and Alison Thomson – although they were not included in the papers published before the meeting
Mr Ayoub said that he had held a personal licence since he was 19 years old and ensured that his paperwork was “perfect”.
He told the panel that he used an app to spot fake identity cards or documents and had weeded out underage customers in that way.
The panel retired to make its decision which should be made public within five working days.
