Worthing town centre shop wants to open 24/7

Londis Churchills News, at 115 Montague Street, has applied to the council for permission to open and sell alcohol 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The newsagents and convenience store is currently allowed to open between 7am and midnight, Sunday to Wednesday, and between 7am and 1am Thursday to Saturday.

Worthing Borough Council’s licensing and control sub-committee is set to make a decision on the application on Wednesday (September 7).

This is because the plans received objections from Sussex Police, the local Pubwatch scheme, and the council’s environmental protection team.

The council’s environmental health officer explained her concerns, saying: “Whilst I acknowledge the premises are situated in an area which can at times be busy, there are residential dwellings in the locality.”

She said that any noise as a result of the later hours could be a ‘public nuisance’, adding that no other businesses in the area are open 24 hours a day.

A Worthing Pubwatch representative said the proposed opening hours could cause ‘more anti-social behaviour’ and lead to ‘more crime and disorder in the town centre’.

“Worthing has problems with the street community, especially in the town centre,” they said, “Fuelling them with access to a 24-hour off licence shop within the town centre would cause public nuisance and crime and disorder.”

Sussex Police said it ‘did not object to the principle’ of 24/7 opening hours, but wants to see a number of measures put in place, such as CCTV and notices asking customers to leave quietly and not drink on the streets.

The business has said it will employ extra staff to monitor the store late at night if the extended opening hours are approved.

WBC’s licensing and control sub-committee can either decide to grant an amended alcohol licence, grant one with conditions, or reject the request entirely at its meeting next week.

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