Rushmere off licence receives alcohol licence for new store

East Suffolk Council's sub-licensing committee met to discuss a premises licence for the store in Foxhall Road which requested permission to sell alcohol from 8am until 10.30pm.

Plans for the new Foxhall Road Stores were submitted in October and originally planned to sell alcohol off the premises from 6am until 11pm. 

The former Farm Shop is set to become an off-licence called Foxhall Road Stores (Image: Lucy Taylor)

Eight objections were submitted to East Suffolk Council from residents, who were fearful of potential anti-social behaviour and noise complaints.

There were also objections to the late hour that alcohol could be bought at.

The committee decided that it would be unfair to punish the new store for anti-social behaviour before it had opened.

Councillor for Carlford and Fynn Valley, Colin Hedgley, said to objectors that "I believe your fears are slightly exaggerated".

During the meeting, representation for the owners of the store said, after considering residents' complaints, they would amend the time alcohol could be purchased from to 8am.

Residents were also fearful of anti social behaviour.  (Image: Archant) But residents who had objected to granting of the licence maintained their dissatisfaction with the lateness of the licence.

One resident said: "For me the main issue would be if the be if the licence was curtailed at 10 at night that would make me feel a lot happier."

The representation for the owners of Foxhall Road Stores said that the store would be willing to "meet at the middle" and compromise the time to 10.30pm which was agreed on by the council.

The store, next to Square's Pharmacy, was formerly the Farm Shop but has been closed for some time.