Lancashire Police object to new off licence over concerns about booze fueled crime in Bond Street, Blackpool

Uma Nanthiny Agilan has applied to Blackpool Council for a licence for a new Premier store on Bond Street in South Shore, and is seeking permission to sell alcohol between 8am and 11pm Monday to Sunday.

But officers from Blackpool Police licensing department have objected to the application and warn the area already attracts one of the highest levels of drink related crime in the town.

They say there are already four existing off licences in Bond Street which falls within a cumulative impact zone – a council designated area where the number of licensed premises are controlled.

A town hall hearing will now be held on Tuesday September 26 when a panel of councillors will hear evidence from the applicant and the police.

Documents submitted to the hearing by the police say in the 12 months between August 2022 and July this year, there were 77 criminal offences recorded on Bond Street, nine of which (12 per cent) were alcohol related.

Waterloo ward, which includes Bond Street, is the fourth highest ward in Blackpool for crime, including alcohol related crime, according to police records.

In the whole of the Waterloo ward, there were 587 incidents of anti-social behaviour recorded in the same period, which is 6.6 per cent of all anti-social behaviour in Blackpool.

Sergeant Nat Cox, of Blackpool Police, says in her submission to the hearing: “The number, type and density of the premises selling alcohol in a particular area can lead to serious problems of nuisance and disorder.

“In these circumstances the impact of the premises taken as a whole can be far greater than that arising from individual premises.

“In most cases it would be impossible to identify an individual premise as being the sole cause or major contributing factor.

“It is noted that Blackpool has high levels of alcohol related harm for the size of the population and has widespread deprivation within the central wards of the town.”

The application form says the premises will be fitted with CCTV cameras, a Challenge 25 proof of age policy will be implemented and all staff will be trained including in the age restrictions around alcohol sales.