Bournville shop is granted licence to sell alcohol
Licensing Sub-Committee B met today (29 September 2015) to consider an application, submitted by Kamal Sharma, for a licence to sell alcohol (for consumption off the premises) at Mary Vale News, 87 Mary Vale Road, Bournville, which was granted.
Cllr Lynda Clinton (Lab, Tyburn), Chair of Licensing Sub-Committee B, said: “The committee has carefully considered submissions made for and against Mr Sharma’s application for a licence to sell alcohol, both from local residents and councillors. There was no evidence presented to the committee to suggest any of the four licensing objectives would not be upheld.
“While people opposing his application raised concerns about anti-social behaviour, crime and disorder, and the impact licensing a convenience store to sell alcohol would have on Bournville village’s ‘unique character’, no objections were lodged by Bournville Village Trust (BVT) as landlords (as the premises is located outside BVT’s boundary) or by West Midlands Police.
“Local residents who attended today’s meeting were strongly in favour of the application being approved.”
For information: Bournville Village Trust Conservation Area, where the sale of alcohol (for consumption off the premises) is currently not permitted, is only part of Bournville ward which extends as far as Cotteridge and Stirchley, areas which are not subject to the same covenant.
UPDATE: Bournville Village Trust issued the statement below on 30 September 2015:
You may have recently seen a feature in the Birmingham Mail under the headline “Bournville No Longer Dry as Newsagent gains Booze Licence”. This feature concerns a licence to sell alcohol granted on 29th September by Birmingham City Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee to allow a Newsagent’s shop in Mary Vale Road to sell alcohol from its premises.
The feature is seeking to make a clear connection between George Cadbury’s Bournville Estate and the premises at Mary Vale Road which now have a licence to sell alcohol.
We wish to make it clear – The two are NOT linked in any way. The premises in question lies well beyond the Estate boundary and ironically beyond the Bournville Social Club which is also off the Estate.
George Cadbury set up Bournville Village Trust in 1900 to develop, manage and maintain the Bournville Estate which he endowed to the BVT. It was indeed his wish that there should be no off-licences or pubs on the Bournville Estate. The fact remains, here in 2015, that there are still no such establishments here on the Estate.
This hopefully puts the record straight.
Peter Roach
Chief Executive, Bournville Village Trust.
ENDS
Media contact: Emma Brady, Press & PR Officer on 0121 303 6969 or email emma.brady@birmingham.gov.uk
