More then 60 residents of Brixton’s Angell Town estate have objected to plans to open a convenience store there that would sell alcohol from 7am until 10pm.
The planned site for the shop is in Fairfax House, underneath residential flats on Overton Road and a few metres from a heavily used cage football pitch.
Lambeth council’s licensing sub-committee will consider an application for a licence to sell alcohol from the store at a meeting in the town hall in Brixton on Tuesday (23 July) evening.
Local residents have also criticised a lack of community consultation on the application.
The application is from Jeyendran Alakendran, who has run a convenience store in Peckham for more than two years. He started a new company, Overton Foodcity Ltd, in April this year, giving the address of the Fairfax House premises as its registered office.
The Fairfax House unit is currently not in use. The landlord is Lambeth council. The store would be branded as a Londis.
A plan of the proposed layout of the store submitted as part of the licensing application shows displays of beer and wine taking the whole of one side of one of the three aisles in the shop, with spirits on separate display behind a counter.
Angell Town has been the scene of serious violent crime over the years and many local residents have been active in community efforts to lessen the incidence of knife and gun crime.
They won a promise from Lambeth council in January last year to build a much needed community centre on the estate.
The Angell Town Resident Management Organisation (RMO), which manages 444 properties on the estate on behalf of Lambeth council, expressed concern about the licensing application to the council, saying the estate is already associated with anti-social behaviour activities, shootings, and other crimes including violence.
The RMO said it had asked the Metropolitan Police to support it and community groups that had expressed similar concerns.
Another objection to the licensing application came from the manager of a youth charity based in Angell Town.
They said that near the store there are several youth clubs and centres, primary schools and family resource centres, catering for children from very young to teenagers and above.
The premises next to Unit C, which houses the shop, share an exit door with a centre that hosts after-school programmes, mid-term activities and family gatherings, said the manger.
“The granting of a licence to sell alcohol under these conditions and environment is totally inappropriate and could potentially lead to safeguarding issues and broader health and safety concerns,” they added.
A resident told the council: “The estate has, over many years, suffered from being known for drug abuse, shootings and stabbings, as well as … violence resulting from drunkenness and drug abuse.”
Establishing an off licence in the estate would cause “more havoc and disturbances” there.
There were off licence facilities in Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Iceland and shops in Brixton town centre and along Brixton Road only a few minutes away from the estate.
“There is no need, therefore, to plant one inside our estate,” said the resident. It would “only lead to and bring more havoc and chaos for our residents who are struggling with anti-social behaviour.”
Another objector pointed out that shoplifting is a well known issue in Brixton, with smaller retailers often seen as softer targets.
“Those committing the offences do not care who may be standing in the way and think nothing of pushing elderly people out of the way, sometimes brandishing a weapon as a threat,” said the objector.
“Given the recent deaths from knife crime on the estate, I feel that allowing a retailer to sell a popular item for theft would make the outlet a target and bring unwanted attention to the estate.”
They said customers attending Brixton Jamm in warmer weather often gather in Max Roach Park to drink before they enter the venue.
“Not all events at Jamm are held late. When events are put on that finish early some customers will carry on drinking close to where they can buy alcohol,” said the objector.
“With the recent closure of a convenience store opposite Jamm on the corner of Robsart Street, the retail unit on Overton Road would be one of the closest places to purchase alcohol.
“As there is a nice open green opposite the unit next to the football pitch, it will make an ideal place sit and drink. Those who do this now on Max Roach also leave a lot of litter in their wake such as discarded beer bottles.
“As well as the Jamm customers, there is also a group of older men who gather and sit on the wall opposite drinking. A licensed premises on the estate has the strong potential to relocate this anti-social behaviour to the estate from the street.”
A leaseholder on the Angell Town estate said: “Our estate has suffered for many years from anti-social behaviour and activities relating from alcohol and drug abuse. Granting. a licence for alcohol sales [would be] so counter-productive, a retrogression of immense proportion which should not be allowed or countenanced.”
Another resident said: “I have been living in Angell Town for many years, and during this time I have witnessed the remarkable community we have built a community dedicated to the wellbeing of our children, families and me as an elder.
“It fills me with pride to see the champions and groups working tirelessly to create a safe and nurturing environment for us all in Angell Town. I feel safer because of the above.
“However, I am deeply concerned about the proposal to open a shop selling alcohol within our community.
“Having observed the challenges faced by shops on main roads that sell alcohol, I have seen first-hand the incidents of anti-social behaviour and the struggles of individuals with alcohol dependencies. These incidents often occur in broad daylight, posing significant risks to public safety.
“I firmly believe that introducing a shop selling alcohol into Angell Town would jeopardise the safety and cohesion of our community, particularly considering its proximity to residential areas.
“Such a shop would not only attract individuals with drinking problems but also encourage anti-social behaviour, creating an environment that is unsafe for all residents.
”Moreover, the presence of alcohol-related activities would undoubtedly have a detrimental impact on our children, who would be exposed to these behaviours.”
The licensing sub-committee meeting is due to take place in the Assembly Hall at Lambeth Town Hall in Brixton, starting at 7pm. The Angell Town application is not the only item on the agenda.
A separate planning application for changes to the structure of the shop has also been made.
What a beautifully worded article; so very informative and refreshing to read. I am filled with hope for these united residents, their supporters and stakeholders. Keep up the fight!