Esso Petrol Station on Yeadon Way wins shop battle despite 'boy racer' concerns from police
The operators of an Esso petrol station on a key tourist route into Blackpool have won permission to open its shop throughout the night despite police objections.
Rontec Watford Ltd has been granted a variation of the premises licence for South Shore Service Station, Yeadon Way, by a council licensing panel after a hearing was told the operator would only open the shop if it was safe.
Under its previous licence the shop had to be closed to the public between midnight and 6am with all sales being made through the night serving hatch. But the change to the condition means in future it will only need to be closed if there is only one member of staff on duty.
Blackpool police had objected to the revised conditions due to late night crime in the area including gatherings of boy racers with "hundreds of cars" reported to be "racing up and down Yeadon Way".
However representatives of Rontec told the hearing the current restrictions were at times causing the business problems and reassured the panel safety would be a priority.
A council report setting out the decision says the business reassured the panel it "was a responsible operator who would risk assess the opening of the retail area".
It adds "whenever it was deemed necessary, or the station was single manned, the door would be closed and all sales would take place via the night serving hatch."
The applicant "acknowledged that there was anti-social behaviour inthe area, but there was no evidence that this had anything to do with the shop door being opened."
Written evidence submitted to the hearing by PC Emma Pritchard, of Blackpool Police licensing department, said in September last year a member of the public reported "70 cars with 20 to 30 young lads stood around" in the area.
PC Pritchard told the hearing there were concerns the petrol station staff would not be trained in conflict management.
The decision notice adds: "Their belief was that the doors being open during those hours would lead to more crime and disorder".
But the panel ruled it had not been established that anti-social behaviour in the area "was caused by the shop being open, or would increase if theshop were permitted to open between midnight and 6am."
The decision notice said the impact on the running of the business had been taken into account and "the panel concluded that it would beappropriate for the promotion of the licensing objectives to vary the licence as requested."