A post office on Fulwood Road has been given a 24/7 alcohol license despite concerns about “antisocial” and “rowdy” behaviour.
The license was granted following a meeting of the Licensing Committee last Tuesday (11th March).
Councillor Brian Holmshaw, who represents Broomhill and Sharrow Vale, opposed the licensing, and said that “two dozen residents” had told him that they opposed the ban because “they do not want the area to become more of a drinking destination,” describing Broomhill as “not being a high drinking area.”
Coun Holmshaw also said: “It’s well known that availability of alcohol for every minute of every day is going to do damage to the overall health of local communities and the crime and bad behaviour in the locality will increase.
“None of us would like Broomhill to become like this, a destination for late night early hours drinking, a second West Street.”
Despite the area containing a number of popular pubs, such as The Fox and Duck and The Nottingham House, all of the venues, as well as Broomhill Convenience Store, close no later than 1am.
Councillor Mike Drabble, who represents Richmond, spoke in favour of the license, given the “number of large student halls of residence in the local area,” with the University of Sheffield-owned accommodation being a short distance from Fulwood Road.
Coun Drabble also said: “If those students or indeed other people, want to go and buy a drink at four in the morning, why shouldn’t they be able to?”
The post office, which is currently open for eight hours a day, six days a week, has been on sale for the last two years, however a prospective buyer, Nirujan Alponce Thavarasa, said that “The people that have showed interest lost interest because the premises doesn’t have an alcohol license.”
His solicitor, Lohithayini Loganathan, supported this, saying that “we might not be able to have the post office at all” without the 24-hour license.
Despite the license being granted, there has been no given timeframe for when the Post Office will extend its opening hours.
