A new city centre branch of Tesco will be able to serve alcohol for up to 18 hours a day even though public health experts are opposed to it.

A new Tesco is set to open during the development of Sheffield’s Velocity Village and will take over the unit which has the fitness gym ‘Anytime Fitness’.

At a licensing sub-committee meeting, Sheffield Public Health, Sheffield Safeguarding Partnership and Councillor Ruth Mersereau, who is the Green Party councillor for City ward, opposed the licensing plans. 

After it is built, Tesco will be allowed to sell alcohol off premises from 6am until midnight, seven days a week.

One issue is that it would be near ‘Likewise’ and ‘Cathedral Archer Project’, support services for substance/alcohol misuse and vulnerable issues.

Another issue is it will be close to student accommodations such as True Student and Hollis Croft.

During the meeting, students were referred to as ‘young people’ and Sheffield Children’s Safeguarding Partnership acknowledged they should be protected. 

Maureen Hennessy, licensing officer for Sheffield Children’s Safeguarding Partnership, said: “In Sheffield’s City Centre, we have cohorts of vulnerable street drinkers. More exposure to alcohol wouldn’t be sensible and restricting it would lead to safeguarding those people.”

However, Jeremy Bark, a solicitor for Tesco, emphasised the strict controls that Tesco has in refusing alcohol sales to young people, or if staff have safeguarding concerns.

ShefLive interviewed students for their opinions.

Lily Rycroft, 19, Student at the University of Sheffield, said: “I think it wouldn’t really change students’ behaviour because not that many students are getting up to buy alcohol.”

Daniel Clinton, 20, Student at the University of Sheffield, said: ”I feel like the morning wouldn’t affect as many people. No one’s buying alcohol that early in the morning.

“It seems at most a bit inconvenient and it’d probably keep people safer.”

However, Temi Adelayi, 18, Student at the University of Sheffield, said: “Encouraging alcoholic behaviour from 6am might be a bit detrimental but university students are university students and will find a way around it.”

Regarding the Tenter Street development, the council wants to extend the city’s centre business area by improving pedestrian crossings and creating more pleasant streetscapes.

The exact opening date of the Tesco has not been finalised.