New booze licence granted for shop in former pub

Plans to turn a former pub into a Premier convenience store have taken a step forward with the granting of an alcohol licence.

A planning application has been lodged for The Bulls Head in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, which closed as a pub in 2023.

Some neighbours on Cambridge Street raised concerns about the length of the proposed opening hours and shared worries it could lead to antisocial behaviour in the area.

Huntingdonshire District Council's said they had "sympathy" for the neighbours, but concluded there was no evidence of noise issues, antisocial behaviour or crime related to the premises.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the authority agreed to grant a licence to allow Nobel Trading (UK) Limited, the company looking to open the shop, to sell alcohol from 06:00 to 00:00.

The council's licensing sub-committee heard some neighbours said they were not opposed to the shop opening, but objected to the long hours.

One man said he was assaulted by a drunk, while another neighbour said they had been threatened and they were concerned people looking to buy alcohol around midnight would "already be inebriated" and "wish to continue drinking".

Nick Semper, representing the applicant, said no alcohol would be sold to someone who was inebriated.

He said the former pub had had a licence to sell alcohol until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.

He added the director of the company, Jeyaseelan Thambirajah, was an "experienced and successful retailer" who had never run into problems with the local authorities.

In 2022, the Bulls Head was one of 60 pubs across the country chosen by Beautiful South and Housemartins singer Paul Heaton to offer free drinks on his 60th birthday.

Mr Semper said the new shop would "revive a derelict premises".

The committee added there was not enough evidence to show a need to reduce the proposed opening hours and it granted the alcohol licence, but imposed additional conditions, including for a bin to be placed outside the shop.

A planning application for the conversion of the pub to a shop was currently being considered by the council.

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