Caerphilly shop’s request for midnight alcohol sales is denied due to concerns from health officials and the local committee.
Amar Khehra owns the ‘8 Til Late’ shop. Jatinder Khehra, his son, spoke to the council. He explained that more shops hurt their business. Seven stores now compete where there were just two. They wanted to sell alcohol later to help their income.
They hoped to attract shift workers like taxi drivers. This included people finishing factory jobs late. Police did not oppose the extended sales. They suggested extra rules for the alcohol license. The applicant agreed to these rules before the meeting.
A health officer raised concerns about late sales. Victoria Woodland voiced worries about the residential area. She said late sales could cause other shops to extend hours. The Khehra family has run the shop for 42 years.
They said they have good relationships with neighbors. No neighbors complained about the new hours. Woodland stated competition drove the request. She claimed there were other ways to earn money. She mentioned people needing quiet at night.
Environmental health suggested limited alcohol hours. They wanted sales from 8 AM to 11 PM daily only. The committee agreed with this suggestion. The committee heard a complaint about past sales.
‘8 Til Late’ allegedly sold alcohol past legal hours. Mr. Khehra said he forgot the license terms. A trading standards officer visited the shop. Her team did checks after the complaint.
The shop passed two tests where officers tried buying alcohol. ‘8 Til Late’ can now sell alcohol from 8 AM to 11 PM daily.