A Budgens branch moving into a new flat block will not be allowed to sell booze because of existing concerns over alcohol-related crime.
The grocery store, which is to open in the ground-floor unit of the Chatham Waterfront development, was refused a licence by Medway Council.
Councillors heard evidence from police, the authority’s public health team, and the manager of the upcoming store, as well as written submissions from local residents at a licensing hearing held today (July 22).
The panel decided the application had not provided enough proof it had policies in place which would prevent alcohol-related issues considering the store would be within both a cumulative impact policy (CIP) area and an alcohol public space protection order (PSPO) area.
These were both introduced in response to issues around anti-social behaviour as a result of alcohol, including street drinking and littering.
Only “exceptional” applications are to be granted permission within these areas, where clear protocols are in place to ensure no negative effects as a result of the sale of alcohol.
Members of the panel said while some concerns had been addressed during the hearing, many issues still remained and the application was not, in its view, exceptional.
Committee chair Cllr Dan McDonald (Lab) said: “This area has been identified as one of the most deprived areas of Medway, with a high level of alcohol-related crime and disorder and public nuisance.
“The committee was surprised there was no mention of the premises being within a CIP or PSPO area in the application.
“There was also no mention of the issues with street drinking and its associated anti-social behaviour or what the applicant intended to do so that the sale of alcohol would not add to these issues.
“Due to the CIP, there is an presumption of refusal of applications in all but exceptional circumstances unless the applicant can demonstrate the premises would not adversely impact the licencing objectives.
“While the applicant has in some way orally addressed this, the committee doesn’t deem this application as exceptional and considers the applicant didn’t demonstrate a sufficient understanding of the CIP and PSPO issues in Chatham.”
Therefore, the panel decided to refuse Budgens’ application for a licence to sell alcohol.
During the hearing, store manager Jenny Benedict was represented by Suresh Kanapathi as her agent.
Mr Kanapathi said the store was part of a regeneration of the area and had conditions, such alcohol representing only 15% of the shop floorspace and staff receiving regular training on selling alcohol, which would uphold the licencing objectives.
He added: “It’s not an off-licence, it’s a supermarket. It’s quite a large premises and will have a bakery and other daily essentials, alcohol will be a tiny part of the shop.
“Smaller stores nearby have a much greater percentage of floorspace dedicated to the sale of alcohol.
“To help prevent street drinking and other anti-social behaviour, the store will not sell single cans of beer and Budgens does not sell high-strength alcohol.”
The store boss also said the application had been amended to reduce the opening hours from 6am to the following 1am, to 6am until 11pm.
He suggested the regeneration of the area through the Chatham Waterfront development could mean the CIP and PSPO policies may not be necessary.
Mr Kanapathi continued: “This store is inside the Medway regeneration area. When we look at old pictures of the area it was like a dump yard – that might be a bit strong, but you understand what I mean.
“But we look at it now and it’s a totally renewed area, totally regenerated. Maybe if we were looking at the policy next time we might not think there is a need for it.
“In Peckham there was an area similar to the way Chatham was, they rebuilt the whole area and now, 10 years later, it has totally transformed from the deprived area it was.”
But PC Carrie Knight and PC Andre Smuts from Kent Police and Barbara Murray from Medway Council’s public health department opposed the application.
PC Knight said: “The schedule of conditions provided, including CCTV, Challenge 25, instant log refusals and staff training, along with some additional conditions brought today, includes a lot of what I would expect, from Kent Police, as minimal standards and what every operator should be using.
“There is clear evidence alcohol-related crime is still continuous in the Chatham area.
“Assaults, domestic violence, mental health episodes, large disturbances involving intoxicated individuals, thefts, criminal damage and sexual offences as well as domestic abuse.
“In our office I sit next to the beat officers who cover Chatham High Street and they have all expressed concerns about granting another off-licence premises in that area.”
Barbara Murray added there was lots of evidence that the high number of off-licenced shops in the area contributed to alcohol-related problems and the CIP area was renewed as recently as May 2024.
After a short deliberation, the panel, consisting of Cllr McDonald, Cllr Ron Sands (IndGr) and Cllr Joanne Howcroft-Scott (Lab) decided to refuse the application.
The Budgens store will still be allowed to trade on the premises but will not be allowed to sell alcohol.
