By Jason Lewis, Local Democracy Reporter
A new Swaythling convenience shop will be allowed to sell alcohol – but not as late into the night as its operator had hoped.
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The application for Worldwide Grocerrie sought permission from Southampton City Council for a premises licence.
Applicant Karan Nayyar wanted to sell alcohol from 6am to 1am every day, with the final two hours trading through a window hatch.
Following concerns from residents and the council’s environmental health team, members of the licensing sub-committee approved reduced hours.
The shop, which is located at the corner of Burgess Road and Langhorn Road, will be allowed to sell alcohol from 6am to 11pm Sunday to Thursday, with an additional hour on Friday and Saturday nights.
Outlining the decision to grant the licence on shorter hours, sub-committee chair Cllr Sue Blatchford said: “Concerns were raised about the extensive hours applied for and the sub-committee agreed that the extended late night opening presented a greater risk of public nuisance and crime and disorder.”
Mr Nayyar, who has been a postmaster in Totton for nearly 10 years, said he had been looking to open a store in the Swaythling area for some time.
The shop will sell a typical range of groceries with a small butcher area and world foods not currently provided to the community, he said.
The application also sought permission to play music from 6am to 11pm.
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Mr Nayyar said this would be through a small speaker device inside the shop at a “background” noise level.
Objecting residents and environmental health officer Matthew Taylor expressed issues about the shop selling alcohol in the early hours of the morning.
The applicant argued the student area the site was located in meant there was a demand for alcohol “at late hours”.
Mr Taylor said: “Even with conditions I still have concerns up until 1am. I think the latest it should be going is midnight because I think other premises in the area have similar hours and I think that is key.”
He added: “I think anything over midnight would open up this precedent and open the potential for future issues as well.”
Concerned residents said the shop could create parking issues in Langhorn Road.
The sub-committee decision came following the meeting, which took place virtually over an online conference platform on Wednesday, November 20.
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