Today we are standing shoulder to shoulder with our readers who say the look and feel of Spalding is suffering from having too many off-licences.
We say the proliferation is not just failing to offer something fresh and attractive to the town centre’s visitors and economy, it is actually serving as a detraction.
And an alarming number of off-licences have been involved in criminal activity – and we don’t want our town to be associated with that.
We’re delighted that national retailer Next is opening a store at Springfields Outlet Shopping today, creating 35 jobs.
But what hope is there of something similar happening in the town centre? Footfall is a crucial factor to major chains in deciding where to invest – and it inevitably suffers when a town offers less diversity.
Many readers of The Voice vented anger at the latest premises licence application, for the former China City Restaurant in Winsover Road.
Applicant Korwan Ahmad is a director of Winsover and Baltic, two of the three Spalding shops raided by police and Trading Standards officers in December. A total of 17,000 counterfeit and illicit cigarettes were recovered.
Winsover and Baltic are facing licence reviews next week, while the third shop – Nasza Biedronka in Sheep Market – had its premises licence revoked last Friday.
Global Foods, in Winsover Road, lost its licence last October after being caught selling smuggled alcohol.
Two months earlier Europe Store, in Holbeach Road, was found to be selling counterfeit booze and illicit cigarettes and had its licence revoked.
So today we are saying well done to South Holland District Council for taking the punitive action it has as the licensing authority.
But we add this:
How much more crime must there be before you look again at introducing a Cumulative Impact Policy into your licensing policy statement?
A policy would have the effect of there being a presumption against granting new applications in a designated area.
In turn, this would limit competition between existing stores and hopefully reduce the temptation of boosting takings with crime.
As Sgt Kim Enderby, of Lincolnshire Police’s alcohol licensing department, told us this week: “There are a large number of these licensed premises in a concentrated area.
“We wonder how they are managing to compete. That may be a reason why some turn to criminal activity.”
- What’s your opinion on this? Email [email protected] or write to The Spalding and South Holland Voice, Units 1&2 Winsover Centre, 14-16 Winsover Road, Spalding PE11 1EJ
