Retail 24 in Shepherd’s Bush had its existing licence revoked in December due to repeated breaches of its conditions
A West London convenience store which just last year had its existing licence revoked has had a fresh application refused. Retail 24 on Uxbridge Road, Shepherd’s Bush, had sought a new licence to enable it to sell alcohol from 10am to midnight Sunday to Thursday and until 2am Friday and Saturday.
The applicant, Zahid Mohammad, was intending to buy the store from current owner Kamran Raza on the assumption the new licence would be approved by Hammersmith and Fulham Council. It was under Mr Raza’s stewardship that last December councillors voted to revoke the existing licence due to repeated breaches of conditions. That decision is currently undergoing an appeal.
Mr Mohammad’s submission drew 18 objections during consultation due to concerns over the requested hours and the history of the site.
PC Charlotte Bennett, Police Licensing at the Met, wrote: “The proposed venue is in a location experiencing high levels of crime, comparative to the rest of the borough. This includes violent crime and anti social behaviour. The locality also attracts street drinkers and the grant of this application would not represent a positive addition to the area.”
A representation by the Caxton Village Tenants and Residents Association (CVTRA), filed on behalf of 57 locals, warned of existing anti-social behaviour (ASB) and crime in Shepherd’s Bush.
“Residents submit that the locality surrounding 70 Uxbridge Road is already experiencing substantial cumulative problems associated with late-night activity, street congregation, antisocial behaviour, nuisance and disorder,” it states. “Permitting the continued sale of alcohol from these premises would, in residents’ submission, materially worsen those existing harms.”
Cllr Mercy Umeh, a Shepherd’s Bush Green representative and Chair of the Licensing Sub-Committee, meanwhile claimed the requested hours would impact residents due to increased noise, littering and potential disorder.
Mr Mohammad and his friend and proposed business partner, Ehtesham Bukhari, however agreed ahead of last night’s (July 14) meeting that the hours be reduced to 10am to 11pm, seven-days-a-week.
Following this both the council’s Noise and Nuisance Team and Cllr Umeh withdrew their representations. Cllr Umeh did not attend the meeting, which was instead chaired by Cllr Molly Mantle.
Among those to maintain their opposition however was Adrian Overton, Licensing Team Manager at the local authority.
He told councillors: “I think we can say that whilst this reduction in hours is welcome, we do not believe that the applicant has fully understood the challenging nature of managing an off-licence in an area where there are consistently high levels of ASB and alcohol-fuelled nuisance.”
Mr Overton added there is a “significant and relevant” history associated with the premises, and suggested that if a licence be granted an earlier terminal hour of 9pm or 10pm be agreed.
PC Bennett also reiterated her objection despite the amendment. She said: “It doesn’t address our primary concerns with the operation of the business and the long-established issues that are associated with this venue.”
PC Bennett also noted that since the revocation last year two further incidents had occurred at Retail 24.
One of these involved some stolen laptops being recovered inside the premises linked to an individual who rents a space on the site.
Manjit Sanghera, a local resident, relayed to members how crime and other issues are impacting her and her family.
She said: “Every day, especially in the evenings, I get people standing in my doorway. I have to excuse myself to get into my own house. I have to look over my shoulder to make sure I don’t get pushed in…[at] night-time, when I do ask them to move they’ve sworn at me. They smell of alcohol and most recently over the past seven months they’ve been urinating in my doorway.”
Mr Mohammad said he and Mr Bukhari understand the history of the premises and that they will ensure similar incidents do not occur moving forward. Mr Bukhari said the main issue that led to December’s revocation was a failure in management.
“Those failures have informed our approach and we have designed these operations specifically to ensure these mistakes don’t happen again,” he said.
Mr Bukhari added the current management are never on-site, an approach he and Mr Mohammad, if the licence was to be approved, would rectify. He added: “We will do all the best that we can do, and definitely for the residents we are all available. We are local, they are local, we are all together.”
Cllr Mantle asked Mr Mohammad about concerns raised by residents about his relationship with Mr Raza. Mr Mohammad confirmed he was put in touch with Mr Raza when he moved to the UK from Italy in 2020 as they have a mutual friend.
He said he was informed of Mr Raza’s desire to sell Retail 24 though that they are not in regular contact and the current management would not be involved in his operation.
In his summing up Martyn Freeman, Chair of the CVTRA, said: “We know that this area is particularly troubled and this is an opportunity potentially to reduce that trouble by not adding another alcohol licence to the area. And that is what we as residents would like in this case, because it just does not feel like the responsible thing to do given all of the circumstances that have been discussed this evening.”
The application was refused by members in full.
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