Sheffield shop granted licence to sell alcohol 24 hours a day despite anti-social behaviour concerns

Sammy Limited, which runs Budgens on 110 Weston Street, Netherthorpe, was granted the licence following a recent meeting of Sheffield Council’s licensing sub-committee.

Robert Botkai, representing the applicant, said: “This is not a situation where it is a new application for 24 hours with no track record.

“We have been trading until 12 midnight and one would have thought if there were problems they would have been experienced up to now and we would have before us a list of incidents or some sort of evidence as to the harm that perhaps may have been caused by the licence up to midnight.

“We don’t have any of that evidence whatsoever and the company has confirmed to me that it is a quiet area as indeed is confirmed by the lady who has objected.

“It is a quiet area, they haven’t experienced any difficulties operating up to midnight and they don’t anticipate any problems operating 24 hours either.”

The original hours were from 6am until 12 midnight and late night refreshments from 11pm to 12 midnight. There are no restrictions on the hours the store is open.

The application was brought before the committee following one objection from a member of the public, who said: “This area is a lovely quite area, where children can still play freely outside their homes.

“I am an NHS worker, and also a mother. I am worried that the extended opening hours will bring a lot of anti- social behaviour, that might spill out beyond Budgens.”

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