AN OFF-LICENCE could be coming to Urmston, but residents and a councillor are concerned about anti-social behaviour.

UPDATE: Urmston off-licence given permission to open and serve alcohol.

An application for a new premises licence at Canterbury Road in Urmston, for a Mini Mart, has been sent to the council by the new owners.

If granted, the licence will allow the store to sell alcohol Monday to Sunday, between the hours of 6am and 11pm – and until midnight on bank holidays and Sundays immediately preceding bank holidays.

The off-licence is a new business venture and the site, which is currently empty, is set to be refurbished to become a general convenience store selling goods including newspapers, magazines, groceries, soft drinks, cigarettes, dairy goods, snacks and confectionery.

The shop was previously licensed as a McColl’s from September 2016 until August 2020 when the licence was surrendered.

CCTV will be set up to cover the inside and the immediate exterior of the store.

But local residents are worried.

A number of people have already written to the council regarding plans for the new store and a petition is circulating against the plans.

One Canterbury Road resident said: “I wish to object to the license application, due to the excessive hours of opening in the application.

“The Canterbury Road area is residential and has previously suffered from crime and anti-social behaviour, to the point where a CCTV camera was installed in the road focusing on the very shop this application is for.

“There is already a shop licensed for off premises alcohol sales just a few shops away with reasonable opening hours, but even this shop still attracts an element of trouble during the course of a year.”

Councillor Jayne Dillon, of Davyhulme East Ward, echoed residents’ concerns.

She wrote to the council and said: “I would like to submit an objection please. My reasons for objecting are that as a ward councillor I have already been contacted a number of times by residents in that area about anti-social behaviour and litter. I have also contacted the PCSO about this.

“I am aware that some of the local residents have started a petition about this issue and I have spoken to one of the residents today. I share their concerns.”

If approved, the licensed hours of the store will be the same as the previous McColl’s shop.

According to the council’s report, the applicant would like to include some alcohol sales to allow the business to offer the complete all-round convenience service.

The focus of the shop will be as a general convenience store with the proposed alcohol sales just being a part of the overall business.

To try and allay fears of antisocial behaviour, the owners provided details of the CCTV due to be installed on and outside the premises.

The report added: “All staff selling alcohol shall be authorised to sell alcohol in writing and a record of the authorisation will be kept in the shop for inspection.

“Any incidents of crime and disorder at or immediately outside the premises, witnessed by staff, will be recorded in an incident book kept at the premises. Spirits will be kept behind the counter.

“Staff will be vigilant and monitor the area immediately outside the shop to check that youths are not causing annoyance by congregating.

“Deliveries to the premises will be arranged so as not to cause any public nuisance. Notices will be on display in the premises asking customers to leave the premises quietly.

“Staff will monitor the area immediately outside the premises on a regular basis to check for, and to properly dispose of, any litter from the premises.”

The application is due to be decided on by the licensing committee this evening.