A bid by a Kensington store to overturn a ban on it selling alcohol has been rejected.
Kenny Food & Wine had its drinks licence revoked by the Licensing Sub-Committee after it heard the shop was selling alcohol to street drinkers and to customers who were drunk.
They appealed against the decision at Liverpool Magistrates Court but their appeal was dismissed and they were ordered to pay the council’s costs. The decision means that it cannot sell alcohol with immediate effect.
The Licensing review hearing in July 2014 was told that Trading Standard’s Alcohol and Tobacco Unit (ATU) has tried to support the shop in complying with the legislation but they had failed to engage with them
Local residents had complained about the premises and the police, the Basement and local councillors were also involved in attempting to find a solution,.
Public nuisance was caused by the street drinkers often congregating in groups and being noisy particularly late at night and in the early hours of the morning.
Street drinkers have also used the alley gates in the area as a toilet and urinated and vomited in areas where residents have to walk past daily and were they need to access to get to the rear of their homes. This became such an issue with the alley gate at the top of Esher Road which was slightly set back from the pavement that the city council had to move the gate forward to try and prevent the nuisance.
Empty cans and bottles have littered the area and there are examples of aggressive begging.
Local Councillor Wendy Simon said: “Clearly street drinkers are a problem in this area and Kensington and Fairfield has one of the highest levels in the city for hospital admissions due to alcohol- specific conditions.
“It is highly irresponsible and for any premises to sell alcohol to street drinkers and the court’s decision over this appeal will be welcomed by local residents. There is a need to help street drinkers change their lifestyle and allowing them to buy alcohol in a local shop is neither in their interests nor that of residents.
“Kensington and Fairfield has had a Cumulative Impact Policy in place since early this year and this decision will help in our efforts to improve the neighbourhood.”
