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Campaigners lose in booze licence appeal
CAMPAIGNERS in Holloway fighting to stop the spread of places to buy booze appealed to a County Court Judge on Wednesday.
Shopkeeper Ibrahim Kilic spent thousands of pounds of his own money bringing the appeal against a licence granted to Londis in Westbourne Road. He said that allowing Londis a licence would spark a local alcohol price war.
But the judge sitting at Highbury magistrates court refused to overturn the licence granted by Islington Council. He said there were no grounds to do so under the 2003 Licensing Act. However, he refused a Londis appeal for costs.
Retired chartered accountant David Trillo, a spokesman for Ellington Street Residents’ Association, who gave evidence on behalf of Mr Kilic, said there were already at least 27 other off-licences within 500 yards of the Londis store.
He added: “Our argument is that areas of Islington are saturated with off-licences, with the resulting problems of crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour.
“My impression was that the judge sympathised with the residents but his hands were tied under the 2003 Act.”
Londis, who are due to open early next year, pointed out that the company has rigid rules to control the sale of alcohol. They say staff are experienced and there are CCTV cameras to ensure there is no anti-social behaviour.
Clerkenwell attracts thousands of revellers to its 135 licensed nightspots every week, but residents claim that with the amount of alcohol on offer, people are drinking excessively and making too much noise.
Holloway Labour councillor Barry Edwards, a member of the borough’s licensing committee, called for the saturation zone to be spread borough wide.
“This is not just a problem in Clerkenwell,” he added. “Everywhere in Islington is suffering from the problem of easy access to booze. I witnessed drunken behaviour by a group of men at Highbury Corner just recently. It’s happening all the time.” |
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