A business owner who wants to sell alcohol at a shop in Brighton was grilled about a breach of licensing rules at one of his other businesses.
Eyad Mwoas, 45, wants to sell alcohol from 8am to 11pm at 80 Islingword Road, Brighton, trading as Islingword Convenience.
He also owns Pop In Shop, in West Street, Brighton, and the Village Convenience Store, in South Street, Portslade.
Sussex Police and Brighton and Hove City Council’s licensing team objected to the application because of high crime and because Hanover is in part of Brighton already saturated with premises selling alcohol.
At a council licensing panel hearing today (Wednesday 29 April) before three councillors – Julie Cattell, John Hewitt and Ivan Lyons – council licensing official Donna Lynsdale mentioned an issue with door staff at the West Street business.
She said that during a licensing visit, with police, in November 2024, Mr Mwoas’s West Street business was found in breach of conditions requiring two registered door staff to be on duty after 10pm at weekends.
Only one member of security staff was on duty – and he was sitting in a car outside, not in the shop.
Mr Mwoas said that there had been no other incidents and, on that occasion, one security worker was off sick and the other’s wife was unwell and he was calling her from the car.
Sussex Police licensing officer Hannah Staplehurst said that Mr Mwoas did not offer any unique reasons as to why he should have a new alcohol licence when policy was for no new off-licences in the area.
She said that draft conditions proposed by Mr Mwoas were minimal.
Ms Staplehurst said: “While there is some mention of crime prevention measures … these conditions offered fall short of the current citywide standard and do not encompass the full range of conditions we would expect.”
She shared crime figures for the previous year. They suggested that, within a radius of about 600 yards, including Lewes Road and The Level, there were 232 violent crimes, 232 thefts and 43 public order offences.
In the immediate area, within a radius of less than 400 yards from the business, there were 33 violent crimes, 24 thefts and six public order offences in the same period.
Barrister James Rankin, spoke for Queen’s Park Store, which objected to the application from the rival business. He took issue with elements of the report from Mr Mwoas’s licensing consultant Complete Licensing.
Mr Rankin said: “There is a suggestion by Mr (Richard) Bunch that in his professional and expert opinion – as a paid consultant – the granting of this licence was unlikely to bring about street drinking, anti-social behaviour and crimes of violence.
“But in the professional opinion of Hannah (Staplehurst), who is on the front line as opposed to some outside consultant, that is not so.”
Mr Mwoas’s solicitor, Robert Sutherland, accepted that there had been one breach of licence conditions two years ago but it was a single incident in 11 years of trading in Brighton and Hove.
Mr Sutherland said: “It does not help but it’s not a nail in the coffin of the application. It merely creates a correct picture of how premises operate and are managed.”
Councillor Lyons asked why Mr Mwoas wanted a drinks licence when there were already eight other shops with licences, one just 43ft from his business.
Mr Mwoas said that he wanted to sell a variety of goods, not just alcohol.
Councillor Cattell asked if Mr Mwoas would consider keeping all alcohol behind the counter.
He said that it would be possible to do so because the shop was currently being fitted out.
The panel retired to make its decision which should be made public within five working days.
Close him down, put the post office in Tescos, Morrisons or anywhere with proper managers, these “Kiosks” are a joke, yes some needed and useful but if it needs to sell booze to survive then close it down.
There isn’t a PO there, it closed ages ago. The shop isn’t even open yet, it’s vacant.
No real opinion on this, but seems harsh to count the Level in any crime statistics for this premises likewise the Lewes road in terms of nearby premises (where there was apparently no previous concern for multiple off licenses in a small radius).
It’s not needed, pub next door. He will only be selling the usual cheap rubbish that problem drinkers buy, hence why they don’t want to give him a licence. As for pop in shop, I’ve been offered duty free cigarettes in there before so hardly a pillar of the community this chap
I remember when the street drinkers used to congregate around the Pepper Pot and Queens Park. That is relevant and I don’t think that this proposal does anything positive for the area. He has failed to demonstrate any exceptional circumstances to be allowed to hold a licence.