THE owner of an off-licence has applied once again to serve wine and beer on the premises seven months after an application was refused.

Concerns were raised about noise issues, people urinating in the alleyway outside, as well as an increase in anti-social behaviour.

A Cornwall Council licensing sub-committee refused a bid by Chings Alley Beer and Wine Cellar in Chings Alley, Launceston, for a variation in its premises licence last October citing that noise from customers would have a negative impact on residents of the alley.

However, Tammy Nutley, from the business has applied again, saying: “We have found since being open, that having people present in the alleyway and with our lights on, we seemed to have stopped any anti-social behaviour. It is a nice quiet alley without any loitering.

“We feel we have now proven to local residents we are not trying to open a nightclub, we (as well as many local residents who have since been into the shop) just want a quiet place to have a glass of wine or beer in the early evening and as we are intending to be closed by 8pm, we know we will be able to comply with all licensing objectives.”

The application has resulted in representations being received from four residents against the proposal and 25 people in support. Devon and Cornwall Police have no objections since the applicant agreed customers would stop drinking 20 minutes before 8pm closing.

Austin McNally, a resident of Chings Court who spoke against the application at the last licensing meeting, wrote to the council saying that Chings Alley is a narrow 1.7-metre-wide alleyway off Southgate Street in the centre of Launceston, which is a private footpath owned by the White Hart Hotel.

He outlined there is currently no public legal right of way and there are ten individual residential properties that have one or more windows overlooking Chings Alley with line-of-site of the entrance to the beer and wine cellar.

He said: “The applicant has since contacted local residents directly, claiming yet again that ‘our intention in reapplying for the licence is not to create a pub-style venue or attract disruptive behaviour’.

“The applicant does not seem to understand that regardless of their style of venue, they have absolutely no control upon the type of people who are likely to want to enter Chings Alley to visit their premises, sober or otherwise, and equally important, they will have no control upon or liability for the possible disruptive behaviour and property damage that intoxicated people might bring to Chings Alley and the ten residential properties it contains.”

Three other residents have raised concerns, stating Chings Alley already attracts instances of anti-social behaviour, particularly during the evening and night-time, including “excessive noise, loitering and evidence of drinking within the alley”.

Ms Nutley responded: “We understand concerns regarding anti-social behaviour such as noise, public urination and drug use. However, these issues are pre-existing and not a result of our premises. A well-managed, licensed premises can help reduce such behaviour by providing a supervised and controlled environment, installing and maintaining CCTV and employing trained staff to monitor customer conduct.

“We have already implemented CCTV and will further strengthen our approach by introducing a Challenge 25 age verification police, incident and refusal logs and ongoing staff training.”

Twenty five other residents of Launceston and the surrounding area, including people living in Chings Alley itself, have written to the local authority to support the application.

A tenant of Chings Alley wrote to to express her “strong support” for the variation of the licence. “Since they opened, the alley feels much safer and more pleasant. The soft lighting they’ve installed has made the passage brighter, and the extra CCTV gives me reassurance about security.

“We have seen fewer people loitering in the alley and the customers the cellar attracts tend to be older and respectful. Allowing them to serve a glass of wine or a pint on-site would reinforce their role as a quiet, community-focused meeting place.

“They also make some effort to keep the outside area clean and hygienic, which benefits everyone who uses the alley.”

Others said they had not seen or heard any antisocial behaviour since the premises opened and commended the owners for running the establishment responsibly.

The licensing sub-committee will make its decision at a meeting on Wednesday (June 17).