A café has applied for a drinks licence so that it can sell beer and margaritas with takeaway food but police and council licensing officials have objected.
Café Coho, in Queen’s Road, Brighton, already has a licence to serve alcohol to customers from 7am to 11pm daily.
The business wants the licence so that it can include drinks with a “substantial takeaway meal” from 11am to 10pm daily.
Sussex Police raised concerns about the potential for proxy sales to under-18s and the effect on crime in the area.
An anonymous police inspector, whose name was redacted by the council, said: “Consideration also needs to be given to the fact that the alcohol will be consumed in public spaces.
“The likelihood is that any alcohol purchased from this premises will travel down West Street to other locations including the beach or taken up into the train station. This location is a hotspot for Sussex Police.”
The force said that 292 crimes were linked to Queen’s Road and surrounding streets in the past year.
The tally included 105 thefts, 89 violent offences, 32 public order offences and eight sexual offences. Of these, 44 were linked to drink and drugs.
The council licensing team also objected because the proposal was contrary to policy by adding another business with alcohol off-sales to a part of Brighton that was already saturated with licensed premises.
Café Coho said that it would only sell cans of beer and pre-mixed margarita, with a maximum of two cans for each food order.
The business owner James Wilson said: “There will be no provision for the consumption of off-supplied alcohol on the premises or in the immediate vicinity.
“No external drinking area is proposed. The premises will not operate as an off-licence and alcohol will not be displayed or promoted as a standalone product.
“The premises will remain clearly food-led at all times. The intention … is to provide a limited and complementary addition to the takeaway food offer, consistent with customer expectations and the character of the area.”
In response to the objections, he said that alcohol would not be promoted outside, customers would be told not to drink near the business and alcohol would not be “available to browse”.
A council licensing panel, made up of three councillors, is due decide the application at a hearing at 10am on Tuesday 19 May. The hearing is scheduled to be webcast.
If it can’t operate without the booze then close it down, as stated in the article, the area is already saturated with booze outlets and the effects of it.
Agreed.