A sweet shop in Bridgwater town centre has been granted a licence to sell alcohol, despite being located in an area identified as an “antisocial behaviour hotspot.”
The Sweet Box, operated by Jeyatheepan Navaratnarajah at 30 Cornhill next to Bridgwater’s Prezzo restaurant, lies along both the popular Celebration Mile and the Bridgwater Carnival procession route.
Mr Navaratnarajah applied for an off-premises alcohol licence permitting sales until 11pm daily. This application faced strong opposition from Avon and Somerset Constabulary and Bridgwater Town Council due to concerns about exacerbating crime and antisocial behaviour in the area.
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Bridgwater Town Council formally objected, stating: “The area around Cornhill has been identified by police as an antisocial behaviour hotspot. Another licensed premises could increase crime and disorder.”
Sergeant Kat Forrest of the Bridgwater beat team echoed these worries, warning that late-night alcohol sales could worsen street drinking, theft, and violent incidents. She also highlighted the absence of measures in the application to manage drunken behaviour or conflict, noting that no conditions appeared sufficient to address these issues.
Despite these objections, the licensing sub-committee north of Somerset Council narrowly voted 2-1 to grant the licence. The committee cited a lack of clear evidence that the alcohol licence would increase crime rates.
Suresh Kanupathi, representing Mr Navaratnarajah, emphasized that similar alcohol retailers operate nearby and that the licensee has experience managing challenging environments at a petrol station. He assured the committee that the shop would not sell single cans of beer or high-strength alcohol above 6.5%, and that only 20% of sales would be alcohol-related, all securely kept behind the counter with no self-service.
Following extensive deliberations, the sub-committee approved the licence with additional conditions: installation of CCTV, mandatory staff training, no alcohol sales before 10am, and restrictions on alcohol strength.
Councillors Marcus Kravis and Martin Lovell voted in favour, while Councillor Brian Smedley voted against, highlighting ongoing concerns.
In a joint statement, the sub-committee acknowledged the existing problems with street drinking and antisocial behavior, adding, “Refusing this application will not remove the problem.”