Tadley Town Council objects to application to sell alcohol at Franklin Local in Franklin Avenue

Tadley Town Council “strongly objected” to plans for a new off licence.

Vamathevan Janagan applied to planners for permission to supply alcohol at Franklin Local in Franklin Avenue, Tadley.

But at a recent meeting of the town council’s planning committee, members warned that granting permission would result in an “over-saturation” of licensed premises in the area.

They noted that the town already has 11 convenience stores selling alcohol, rendering another, in councillors’ view, “completely unnecessary”.

The council added in a statement: “Granting this licence will not serve the public interest but will instead contribute to an oversupply of alcohol outlets, which could encourage increased alcohol-related disturbances and anti-social behaviour.”

They also sited concerns over inadequate parking facilities and added: “The proposed site lacks sufficient parking, which will inevitably lead to increased traffic congestion, illegal parking and potential safety hazards for pedestrians and road users.

“Customers stopping to shop are likely to park irresponsibly, exacerbating existing traffic and accessibility issues in the area.”

The committee also expressed concerns over detritus, stating: “The presence of another convenience store will contribute to a rise in litter, including bottles, cans and packaging waste.”

The committee acknowledged that the application included an offer to clear litter daily but added: “In reality, such conditions are rarely enforced effectively by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

“The failure to ensure compliance will leave the responsibility for litter management on local residents and Tadley Town Council.”

The committee voted to “strongly object” to the application in its advisory role to the district council planners.

In the event the district council was minded to grant the application, however, the town council asked that a condition be imposed requiring the store to provide two litter bins that staff would be responsible for emptying.

And it stated that the applicant did not live locally and concluded: “This is of great concern to us if this licence is to be approved.”