New Morrisons store in Headingley seeks licence to sell alcohol but faces objections from locals and councillors alike.
The store used to be a Natwest bank. This pub crawl gets super popular on weekends, and lots of people go there. It could get very crowded.
Some people don’t want them to sell alcohol. Local councillors and even an MP are against it. Twenty-three neighbors also objected to the plan.
The license wouldn’t allow Saturday afternoon sales, not between 1 PM and 6 PM. That’s when the Otley Road is full of drinkers.
A Green Party councillor still thinks it’s a bad idea. He says it puts more booze into the area, and the Otley Run is not only on weekends now.
He said two thousand people did it in three hours one weekend. Morrisons claims alcohol won’t be their main thing, but others think it piles on the pressure.
Folks fear more overcrowding and worry about scary behavior on that street. One person thinks selling more booze is irresponsible and could cause problems.
Even the police objected to the initial proposal. They said the store could sell booze with restrictions: no sales from noon onwards, Friday to Sunday.
Also, police suggest no sales to people in costume, as these people are likely doing the pub crawl. Leeds City Council will decide on March 4. They will hold a hearing to consider the application.