A soon-to-open grocery store in Kendal is set to find out next week whether it can sell alcohol 24 hours a day.
Members of the licensing sub-committee for Westmorland and Furness Council will decide on March 17 whether to grant a premises licence to Mango and Malt on Wainwrights Yard for the sale of alcohol 24 hours a day.
The grocery store will sell all types of convenience products including frozen food, toiletries, household items and newspapers.
However, plans to sell alcohol 24 hours a day have faced opposition from Cumbria Constabulary. The force said the proposals had significant potential for increased disorder in the area.
It said: “The ability to purchase alcohol 24 hours a day is not essential, and no person will suffer significant harm from not being able to buy alcohol beyond the existing offerings in the immediate vicinity.
“There is however a high possibility of increased disorder associated with customers being able to purchase and consume alcohol throughout the night which this licence would permit, should it be granted.”
The police added that if the application to sell alcohol 24 hours a day was granted, they would like consideration to be given for the grocery store to require door security.
Licensing documents submitted by the applicant stressed that alcohol was not the intended focus of the business.
It said: “There is an expectation that alcohol sales will have a limited impact on the area as local people are expected to on the whole purchase alcohol along with other products.
“In terms of addressing the licensing objectives, this premises will be brand new and subject to significant investment which will involve the installation of high spec equipment such as CCTV, electronic refusals register and till prompts.
“In addition to that, in order to mitigate any risk from the sales of alcohol and its impact on the licensing objectives a number of robust conditions, which reflect the expected policies and procedures to be operated within the business, have been included as part of this application.”
Members of the licensing sub-committee will decide whether to grant a premises licence to the business on March 17 at Kendal Town Hall.
