A NEW shop is coming to Birkenhead after it was given an alcohol licence, even though more than 100 drug and alcohol-related incidents were recorded nearby in a 12-month period.

The store will now take over a site at 78 Westbourne Road, where it will open from 6am-10.30pm and sell alcohol between 9am and 10pm.

A petition signed by 130 people protesting the plans had been submitted.

Dominic Randles, a long-term local resident speaking against the application, said there were several shops selling alcohol nearby and that another licensed premises would exacerbate problems with anti-social behaviour in the area.

Mr Randles presented figures from Merseyside Police which revealed that between March 2019 and March 2020 24 drug and alcohol related incidents on Westbourne Road were logged and 78 such incidents were recorded on the neighbouring Grange Road West and Grange Mount.

He thought there were enough licensed premises in the area already, noting that there are three off-licenses within 50 yards of the new shop’s site.

Mr Randles said he had knocked on doors in the local area for over a fortnight and had found few people in support of a new alcohol licensed store.

The Birkenhead resident said he had been involved in the Westbourne Garden project, which has given some locals involved in anti-social behaviour things to do and a positive alternative to causing trouble.

He added that his family has lived in the area for generations and said Westbourne Road has experienced anti-social behaviour for many decades, this was at the heart of his argument against a new shop selling booze.

Green councillor Pat Cleary, who represents Birkenhead and Tranmere, said the 130-strong petition showed the strength of feeling in the local area.

He added that this showed a problem with Birkenhead’s Cumulative Impact Policy, which sets a defined area in which a local authority will restrict the development of new licensed premises.

Cllr Cleary, the leader of Wirral Council’s Green group, added he was disappointed that Merseyside Police did not comment on the application given the number of recorded drug and alcohol related incidents in the area.

But Ian Rushton, speaking on behalf of the applicant, said there was no clear evidence that a new licensed store would lead to greater problems on Westbourne Road.

In any case, he said there are powers to deal with anti-social behaviour and not all of it is to do with alcohol.

Mr Rushton pointed out that Wirral Council had the opportunity to bring Westbourne Road into its Cumulative Impact Zone, but chose not to.

He also dismissed the idea that the new store would be solely based around cheap booze.

The shop’s business plan predicts that alcohol will only form around 10-15% of its total sales.