The licensing committee noted that no complaints had ever been made about the applicant, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

A supermarket in Seven Sisters has been granted an alcohol licence despite concerns over its early opening hours.

Food retailer 6 Brothers, in West Green Road, submitted an application for a premises licence which was subsequently debated by Haringey Council’s licensing sub-committee on 3rd February.

The owner, Mohammed Rahman, applied to sell alcohol from 7am to 11pm, Monday to Sunday, but Metropolitan Police officer Francis Peters felt, with the number of off-licences already in the area with early start times, this risked causing “anti-social behaviour or crime”.

However, this week the committee decided to grant the licence.

In a written statement, it was noted the presence of a school had raised concern mainly around the sale of alcohol at the premises increasing the possibility of street drinkers “congregating at the same time” as children were passing by.

But despite other vendors in the area, councillors were persuaded to grant the licence after the owner’s representative, Nick Semper, said the venue could not be “singled out”.

There was no history of issues at the property or with the owner, the committee noted. Mohammad has also agreed to several other conditions including installing a CCTV system, staff training, and keeping a log of incidents.

The committee said: “It was pointed out by the applicant that several other establishments in the vicinity have the same early opening hours, selling alcohol, and that the applicant cannot be singled out in this way, which the committee found persuasive.

“It was also noted that no complaints had ever been made about the applicant and that he had willingly agreed to comply with the responsible retailer plus scheme which has extra conditions on the sale of alcohol designed to prevent the worries and concerns raised by the police.

“In light of the above, it was deemed that a grant of the application with the above conditions balanced the interest of the applicants, the residents and the licensing objectives.”

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