Alcohol sales bid blocked over nursery concerns

A Thai restaurant which shares a car park with a nursery has had its application to sell alcohol from midday turned down over concerns about the impact on children.

The owners of AuthenThai, in Halfway, Sheffield, applied for a new licence seeking to extend its alcohol sales and opening hours.

However, the application prompted objections from the Sheffield Children Safeguarding Partnership and Oak Valley Day Nursery, which said children should not see drinking adults during the daytime "on their doorstep".

At a hearing last week, Sheffield City Council's Licensing Sub-Committee rejected the request to sell alcohol from midday but allowed the restaurant to extend its closing time from 21:00 to 23:00.

AuthenThai, which according to its website is open from 11:00 to 21:00, Tuesday to Sunday, is allowed to sell alcohol on the premises from 16:00 until closing time, Tuesday to Thursday, from noon until 21:00 on Friday, and from 15:00 to 21:00 at the weekend.

Oak Valley Day Nursery had argued that the restaurant's revised application to sell alcohol from lunchtime seven days a week would effectively turn it into a "pub", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Nursery bosses said the change would interfere with their daily operations, as they are required to allow children access to outdoor space from noon onwards, in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage which they must follow under Ofsted registration.

They added: "The image of adults sat around drinking alcohol in the daytime is not one that should be portrayed to children as 'normal', and be seen on their doorstep."

The nursery, which is open from 07:00 to 19:00 Monday to Friday, also raised safeguarding concerns, noting that there had been incidents of individuals urinating along the nursery's fence.

While the committee rejected the application in part, it allowed the restaurant to extend closing hours to 23:00 — specifically approving alcohol sales until 22:30.

The committee also agreed to allow alcohol to be sold in sealed containers as part of takeaway orders during licensed hours, but stated that no drinks may be served or consumed while customers wait for their takeaway.

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