Plans for a city centre off-licence face opposition from neighbours, police and the city council.
Massary Exchange Limited wants to open Stockbev at 7 Duke Street, Brighton, on the former site of Old Village clothing shop offering tasting sessions as well as off-licence sales.
The company initially applied for a 24-hour operation but reduced its hours to 9am-10pm daily.
In its application, the company states the shop will specialise in selling spirits, beer and wine, as well as offering non-alcoholic drinks and food.
As the business is within Brighton and Hove’s cumulative impact zone (CIZ), where there are strict limits on new businesses selling alcohol to prevent increasing levels of crime, disorder and public nuisance.
Council licensing policy is for no new off-licences in the CIZ, and businesses must show “exceptional circumstances” to get a licence.
Company director and licensee Chirag Patel commits to staff training, comprehensive CCTV and a challenge 25 policy.
In a letter to the licensing authority, Mr Patel explains after 12 years as a wholesaler, he wants to expand his business which he described as a speciality beverage retailer rather than an off-licence.
He said: “In our application, the business is not a pub but a contemporary shop for beer, wine and spirits.
“We are traditionally not an off-licence shop but will be more like a speciality beverage premises where we intend to sell high-end quality products from all around the world.
“These products are craft beer, supporting small British breweries and other small manufactures from around the world.
“The products stocked will not be found in a normal off-licence shop.”
However, in its objection, the authority’s licensing team said Mr Patel did not address licensing policy or the CIZ in his application.
It also states the Regency ward is ranked worst out of 21 wards for crime and disorder for violence against the person.
Regency ward is also the second-worst for police recorded alcohol-related incidents.
The council received 20 letters opposing the application, which goes before a Licensing Panel of three councillors on Thursday, 1 October.
One of the residents objecting, whose details were redacted on the council website, wrote: “We are all shocked to hear this as there is already enough trouble on the streets in central Brighton during the evenings and for certain types of people having access to alcohol throughout the night would certainly cause yet more noisy and disruptive behaviour.
“So we are all in agreement that this would be disastrous if the licence were to be granted.”
A business owner wrote: “This application if passed, encourages street drinking and will potentially add further nuisance to our customers and other visitors to the street.
“We feel this will also mean an even higher incidence of begging in the street, which is already at unmanageable levels and is not desirable, particularly for the tourist trade.”
Sussex Police licensing inspector Rob Lovell said the area has a visible police presence at the weekend and he felt the applicant had not considered the negative impact on the area.
He wrote: “The area at times can be challenging for emergency services, especially at night.
“Sussex Police are concerned about the impact that granting this application could have on the area.
“Although the highest risk would be early evening and throughout the night, we believe that daytime trading could also impact the area by increasing the risk of alcohol being consumption on the street as well as preloading.”
The virtual licensing panel is webcast on the council website from 10am on Thursday, 1 October.
