Shopkeeper wins bid to sell booze after competing trader’s crime claims

Nicholas Thomas – Local Democracy Reporter

A shopkeeper has won permission to sell alcohol from his new store after a competing trader complained it would cause antisocial behaviour in the village.

Kajanthan Nagaratnam is planning to run his new business at 20 The Green in Abertysswg, which was formerly a takeaway.

In its decision, Caerphilly Council’s licensing committee rejected claims from another shop owner that a second off-licence in the village would lead to antisocial behaviour and “attract more undesirables” to drink in a park between the two stores.

The committee said the other traders’ concerns “appeared to be based more upon a fear of what may occur rather than exacerbating a problem the community is facing”.

It also noted the potential behaviour the other shopkeeper had raised “was not an issue for his own off-sales of alcohol”.

Evidence

Gwent Police did not raise any objections to Mr Nagaratnam’s application, and the committee noted the force “did not have any evidence that connected any antisocial behaviour within the [nearby] park to the… off-sale of alcohol from local licensed premises”.

The committee also heard the other trade had been involved in a local petition for 20 The Green to remain as a takeaway.

But members were “not persuaded” Mr Nagaratnam’s business would lead to litter problems, and offered “not much weight” to the other shopkeeper’s arguments about increased noise and light pollution, given the premises was previously a takeaway “trading into the night”.

Following the committee’s decision, Mr Nagaratnam will be permitted to sell alcohol for off-sales, seven days a week, between the hours of 7am and 11pm.