Residents lose late shop fight

Earlier this year, the retail group was refused planning permission to demolish the Oaktree pub, Livesey Branch Road, Blackburn, and build a store on the site because of concerns over nuisance and traffic.

But it has now been granted a licence by Blackburn with Darwen Council's licensing com-mittee to operate on the existing site and sell alcohol, with opening hours from 7am until 10pm.

A Co-op store will open next month further down the same road and 10 residents, eight of whom also wrote to the council to object, attended a meeting to protest at the second application.

Residents say the shop would attract gangs of youths which could be detrimental to the area.

They also had concerns about under-age sales of alcohol and increased anti-social behaviour.

But the committee said there were no licensing reasons to turn down the application.

Resident, John Taylor said: "We have held about seven meetings attended at most by 90 people. Problems with youths gathering occur outside many convenience stores such as the Co-op. Why should this one be any different? There is not a need for a store here."

John Thomson, an area manager for the Co-op in Lancashire, said external CCTV cameras would be installed and a fence built to restrict access to the back of the shop.

He reassured residents a strict over-21 policy would be enforced for any customers buying alcohol.

He said: "Staff are disciplined if they sell to anyone under 18 and we keep records of refused sales. Anyone caught buying alcohol for minors will be barred. We want to work with residents. We don't want problems outside the shop either. People would not shop there."

The committee said it was satisfied the Co-op would adhere to the various commitments to ensure the shop did not have any adverse effects on the area.

Under the licence the Co-op, which has yet to be buy the Oaktree, must restrict deliveries, apart from those of newspapers, to between 7am and 9pm.