Convenience Store Granted Alcohol License Despite Community Concerns

A local convenience store has been granted authorization to sell alcohol, notwithstanding assertions that it would encourage anti-social behavior among village youths. The new retail establishment in Hextable, situated near Swanley, was the subject of a petition initiated by another local enterprise, which gathered more than 300 signatures advocating for the rejection of the licensing application, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Sevenoaks District Council (SDC) received an application from Sutharsan Arunthavarasa seeking permission to sell alcoholic beverages from Malyon’s House, a currently unoccupied premises on College Road. Mr. Arunthavarasa intended to establish a Malyon’s Superstore in the vacant structure, and he requested permission from the council to vend alcohol daily from 06:00 GMT until 23:00 GMT. Numerous objections were lodged against the proposal, including 38 written communications submitted to the licensing department, and a petition initiated by Ajnoop Pal Singh Purewal, owner of the nearby Best One convenience store, which collected 306 endorsements. Councillors, the business representative, and local residents convened for a session of SDC’s licensing sub-committee on November 28 to discuss the particulars. Gill Sherratt, representing the consultancy Licensing Matters, informed the committee on behalf of Mr. Arunthavarasa that an investment of “about £100,000” would be made in the property, and local residents would be employed. Christine Cownley, a local resident, conveyed to the sub-committee: “Why do we need more alcohol? It makes the whole village sound like we are all drunks.” She added, “There’s already plenty of alcohol being sold, it does cause a problem with the shops already there, yobs hanging around there holding it, they ask other people to buy it and then they stand outside on the walls and cause damage.” SDC’s licensing sub-committee ultimately voted to grant the requested license. Alan Leaman, the chairman, commented: “We support the installation of CCTV both inside and outside the premises which is currently vacant and a possible site for antisocial behaviour.” For updates, BBC Kent can be followed on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story suggestions may be sent to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.