More than 1,000 people have signed a petition against plans to open a new off licence in Camborne town centre, saying it will further exacerbate the town’s street drinking problem. A notice recently appeared in the window of second hand shop Bitz of Everything, located towards the top end of Trelowarren Street, giving notice for an application for a new convenience store which will enable the sale of alcohol between 8am and midnight. The application is filed under the name under the name Awara Muhammed.
READ MORE: Pointless double yellow lines painted across the middle of the road are to be removed2
Jay Deol displaying the piles of signatures on his petition
Located next door to Bitz of Everything is Deol Wines, an off licence and convenience store which has witnessed its own catalogue of problems. Jay Deol, who fronts the store with his mother, has launched a petition against the new off licence, but insists it’s not just sour grapes. He said: “We have had all kinds of issues including broken windows and drunken customers becoming abusive when we refuse to serve them alcohol.
“The notice next door is very worrying for us and our worries are nothing to do with competition as at the end of the day people vote with their feet.
“We are the only off licence at this end of the main street and we are very, very careful to turn people away who are drunk.
Sometimes we will refuse a sale to somebody and they’ll walk up 10 minutes later waving cans they have bought from somewhere else.
“Another off licence is only going to make the problem worse and result in more drunk people hanging around at this end of the town. It will also undoubtedly mean more vandalism to our business and we have already had to set up 13 security cameras.”
Bitz of Everything, the proposed site for a new off licence
Mr Deol has since started collecting signatures of customers opposed to the opening of a new off licence and has so far gathered 1,076 scribbles. He will be forwarding the signed petition to Cornwall Council’s licensing committee to consider along with the application.
Deol Wines next door
Mr Deol has also handed out copies of the petition to other local businesses which are also seeing the forms fill up at a rapid rate.
Beverley Paynter from Mackfalls Fish Chip Caf and Takeaway is also encouraging people to sign up against the plans.
“Nobody wants another off licence and to open another one which will serve alcohol even later will be ridiculous,” she said.
“It will just fuel what is already a major problem in the town.”
The West Briton recently reported the ordeal3 of Camborne businesswoman Alice Hinton who closed her town centre business, The Naked Sheep, after being abused, spat at and robbed by a drunken man.
References
- ^ Comments (1) (www.westbriton.co.uk)
- ^ Pointless double yellow lines painted across the middle of the road are to be removed (www.westbriton.co.uk)
- ^ reported the ordeal (www.westbriton.co.uk)
- ^ Read more Cornwall news here (www.westbriton.co.uk)