Cazenove Blog

Your local Liberal Democrat Councillors for the Cazenove Ward in Hackney. Please feel free to make comments and talk about issues in Cazenove, Hackney, London, UK, Europe, the World and beyond!

Friday 15 February 2013

We oppose 24 hour alcohol sales in Upper Clapton, we don't want our neighbourhoods to become magnets for drunks!



(Image taken from the Hackney Gazette)


Cazenove Councillors have objected to plans to open a 24 hour off-licence in Upper Clapton Road.

The Licencing application for “K Superstore”  at 71-75 Upper Clapton Road will come before the Licensing Committee on the 18th February and, if accepted,  will operate 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. It has been strongly opposed by the Police.

Councillor Abraham Jacobson said:

“There are enough drunks in the neighbourhood and we do not wish Upper Clapton Road to become  a magnet for alcoholics from surrounding areas”

Fellow Cazenove Cllr Dawood-Ebrahim Akhoon added: “We should be promoting healthy and diverse shops so our neighbourhoods are sustainable and are there for the benefit of all, and for future generations. “The proliferation of betting shops, pawnbrokers and now 24-hour off licences in Hackney does nothing but cause problems for our neighbourhoods,” he said.

“These businesses thrive on people’s addictions and vulnerabilities, and they make vast amounts of money by targeting the poorest and most vulnerable from our communities.”

You can read the complete news on this in the Hackney Gazette here


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't see why there is suddenly all this concern over a shop wanting to sell alcohol 24 hours a day when there are already other shops nearby that are allowed to sell alcohol all night. I mean, take a look at http://www.24houralcohol.co.uk/hackney-off-licences and you will notice there is already a 24 hour off licence at 101 Upper Clapton Road, so what does it matter if there is another at 73 Upper Clapton Road (K Superstore)? At least it gives customers choice and allows this shop to compete with a local competitor that is allowed to sell alcohol 24 hours. There is also another 24 hour off licence at 54 Lower Clapton Road.

If alcohol wasn't already available to buy 24 hours a day in this area, I could understand the objections, but I feel that a precedent has been set.

Cazenove Ward said...

I agree with what your saying, a precendent has been set and of course the business has to compete with other competitiors. (In any case, I am aware that the licence for K Stores was granted with minor amendments made by the owner).

But the issue I have is in regards to the cumlative effect of having 24 hour drinking in this ward and the surrounding areas. ASB has increased (low level ASB), which is dumping of cans, bottles, vomit and peeing on doorstep of residents and buildings. Also instances of street drinkers sleeping it off in communal areas of estates etc. If you look at areas such as Shoreditch, Hoxton, Stoke Newington where the night time economy is prevalent, then residents are constantly complaining about these issues. I am not sure whether our resident's here would care for our neighbourhoods to be on a par with those wards.

I am heartened that residents are taking ownership of their neighbourhoods, and making complaints to the police and objections to the licensing authorities when they feel that a licensable business is not conducive for their neighbourhood. I for one wholeheartedly support businesses who are well run and are responsible licence holders who meet all their licensable responsibilities and care about their patrons and neighbours. Its the few businesses who are unresponsible that I have an issue with. Thank you, I really appreciate your comment and thoughts.