Sheffield city centre off licence can open 20 hours a day

Liquor Local on West Street near the corner of Mappin Street won its application to Sheffield City Council’s licensing sub-committee today (January 7). The committee heard objections from Peter Sephton, on behalf of the city centre residents’ group Changing Sheff, and City ward councillor Douglas Johnson, speaking for all three ward members.

Under conditions imposed, the store will have a toughened glass screen between customers and staff with all alcohol kept behind that. Street drinkers will not be able to buy alcohol.

Other rules include no sales of single cans of high-alcohol beers, ciders or alcopops and a strict Challenge 25 policy. Customers will be asked not to congregate outside the shop in order to minimise any disturbance and anyone refused to be served twice will be banned from the premises on the third occasion.

The sub-committee rejected a call by the objectors to impose a closing time of 2am, rather than 4am.

Mr Sephton, who chairs Changing Sheff, said his group is worried that there are so many off licences in such a small area which already sees high levels of crime and disturbance as there are three other off licences nearby, including one opposite.

Impact

He said that 170 crimes were reported in the area in October 2024 and said: “Here we are, adding another source of crime – much of that violence and sexual offences are caused by excessive alcohol.

“There’s still no cumulative impact policy after we’ve asked for one for the last 10 years.” Mr Sephton said that the lack of such a policy, which he said would allow the licensing authority to more easily refuse applications in areas where the density of licensed premises is adding to problems, is “scandalous”.

He also said that the 12 pubs in West Street are well run and do not cause problems. Potentially, the increasing number of off licences could undermine the city’s night-time economy, he added.

“We’ve been banging away at this for 10 years,” said Mr Sephton. “You are bringing in 30,000 people to live in Sheffield city centre, at the same time allowing off licences to come.”

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Committee member Coun Karen McGowan said that she had been on the council for 14 years and had previously chaired the licensing sub-committee and couldn’t remember the issue of a cumulative impact policy being raised. Mr Sephton said that it had never got beyond officer level.

Coun Johnson said City ward councillors get many complaints about noise and public nuisance: “If you go into West Street in the evening you’ll see for yourselves but also early in the morning, when it can be a quite intimidating place.”

Experience

He said he endorsed what Mr Sephton said about the cumulative impact of having a lot of premises selling drink in such a compact area.

Coun Johnson pointed out that West Street is covered by a city centre public space protection order (PSPO) being introduced by the council.

“The PSPO recently adopted by the council is entirely premised on the fact that there is a lot of alcohol-related anti-social behaviour in the city centre.”

Both Mr Sephton and Coun Johnson said they are worried that the designated premises supervisor (DPS), Stas Herish Ezzat, is 18 and does not have much experience to run a business in such a challenging area. Committee chair Coun Abdul Khayum said that is unfair because Mr Ezzat is the lawfully-appointed DPS.

Licensing agent Tony Clarke said that the owner Halshaw Fahil has two other shops and will be on the premises part time.

He added: “The DPS is the DPS for another shop in the area. He has never experienced any problems with the police.

“They are well run and well managed shops. There have certainly been no issues with the applicants themselves.”

Mr Clarke said that the police and all relevant authorities are happy with what his clients are proposing and relevant conditions are attached to the licence.

He said: “In my opinion it’s hard to believe that a small shop like this would add to the noise in the vicinity.”

Following the hearing, Coun Johnson said: “I was pleased to speak up for residents and business in City ward who are affected by nuisance and anti-social behaviour. It will certainly help that the off-licence was stopped from opening before 8am.

“All the same, yet another off-licence on West Street shows even more clearly why the council needs to look at the impact of so many premises clustered close together.

“It also highlights the inconsistent approach of a council that has brought in a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) to criminalise street drinkers without taking responsibility for controlling the proliferation of city centre off-licences.”