A new branch of Sainbury’s can sell alcohol after councillors approved a drinks licence.
Eight neighbours objected the supermarket chain’s application to Brighton and Hove City Council for a premises licence, with drink sales from 7am to 11pm daily.
As a result, a council licensing panel held a hearing to decide whether to grant a licence for the store which is still being built in Makerfield, off Lewes Road.
The store is on the ground floor of a new block on the old Preston Barracks site.
People who have already moved into the area were worried about the late closing time and the risk of anti-social behaviour, particularly in an open space planned for the site.
There was also a request to reduce the licensing hours to 10pm, resulting in a similar closing time to the nearby Aldi store on the Pavilion trading estate.
Before the licensing panel hearing, Sainsbury’s agreed a number of draft licence conditions with Sussex Police such as not selling super-strength beer and cider.
Sainsbury’s also agreed to deploy security staff on bank holiday weekends, football match days and other occasions such as Pride weekend.
The company’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.
And he said, 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.
Staff at the store would have body-worn cameras to record any incidents. Spirits would be kept behind the counter and all other alcohol within sight of the tills.
The council sent a decision letter which said: “It was not considered that there was good enough reason to restrict the sale of alcohol to 10pm and that the points made about the possibility of conflict in that scenario carried some weight.
“Ultimately there was a power for residents to review the licence in the event of problems which was a key protection.”
The panel was made up of two Labour councillors, David McGregor and Julie Cattell, and Green councillor Kerry Pickett.
Its the late 24hr corner shops that cause problems not the main super markets.