Totnes garage to sell booze round the clock despite 'nuisance' claim

'This is not a 24-hour town' says objector

A Totnes petrol station is to sell alcohol around the clock, despite a barrage of objections from local people.

The Motor Fuel Group (MFG), which took over the town’s Morrisons filling station in July, applied to South Hams Council for permission to allow customers to buy booze whenever they want. 

But they faced a string of objectors, including the town's deputy mayor Tim Bennett, who told them: “Totnes is not a 24-hour town.”

MFG has more than 700 24-hour petrol stations across the country, all of them licensed to sell alcohol around the clock. The group recently took over more than 300 Morrisons petrol forecourts.

It applied to the South Hams licensing committee to extend alcohol sales at the filling station in Station Road from the current 6am to midnight period to a full 24-hour service.

MFG solicitor Robert Botkai said local police had no objections, and added: “They are your experts on crime and disorder. If they had concerns, they would have made a representation.”

But objectors to the extension included the town council, the town’s street pastors and the local MP.

One neighbour said the change would cause ‘untold nuisance’ and went on: “When they first increased the opening hours, it encouraged anti-social behaviour, and is now a gathering point when the pubs close.”

Another said: “There is no need for the sale of alcohol on a 24 hours basis, Totnes is not a metropolis, it is a rural town. We do not need nor wish for a thriving nightlife.”

And Liberal Democrat MP Caroline Voaden said making the amended licence  risked increasing anti-social behaviour, vandalism and disturbances. She also warned of the dangers of ‘intoxicated people’ on a main route to school for local youngsters.

In a statement, Cllr John Birch (Lib Dem, Totnes) said there is a ‘continuing problem’ with alcohol in Totnes, and crime, disorder and public nuisance had increased in recent years. Extending the filling station’s licence would exacerbate the problems, he claimed.

But Mr Botkai told the committee: “People say it is going to be a magnet for drug dealers, and alcohol dependents will be coming to the site during the night.

“I’m not belittling what has been said, they are legitimate concerns, but we have heard all these arguments before many times.

“Our experience is that these problems don’t happen, and are unlikely to happen in Totnes.”

But, he said, if there were issues, the council would be able to review the licence at any time.

“When we are told that there is a problem, we deal with it very quickly,” he added.

Committee chair Cllr Sam Penfold (Con, Marldon and Littlehempston) said the licence extension would be granted, but added: “We understand and are extremely sympathetic to the concerns of the residents.”

Conditions will include holding regular meetings with the community to discuss any concerns and not selling alcohol through the ‘night pay’ window, where locals say noisy groups have gathered.