A SPAR store in Garthamlock has been granted permission to offer alcohol deliveries despite concerns over high rates of alcohol-related hospital admissions in the area.
Glasgow’s health and social care partnership [HSCP] warned the plan had “potential to substantially increase the ease of access to alcohol” in a community which is “already experiencing harm”.
It reported the latest figures for the Craigend and Ruchazie data zone, where the shop is located, show “alcohol-related hospital admissions are currently 110% above that of the Scottish rate”.
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Alcohol-related mental health hospital admissions “are 299% above the Scottish rates”, Elaina Smith, from the HSCP, added. She said buying alcohol “for consumption at home is the main factor in driving alcohol harms”.
The HSCP representative asked the city’s Licensing Board to consider “sufficient safeguarding measures” to reduce the risk to “vulnerable” people if it decided to approve the proposal.
The city’s Licensing Board agreed to vary the premises licence for the Redcastle Square store. SPAR’s representative said: “In terms of what we are asking for, it’s new to this store but it’s not anything unusual.”
She said deliveries would be booked through the Snappy Shopper app, which includes ID verification. “It is clear to the customer when they place the order that alcohol is only available to those over 18 and that the Challenge 25 policy is in place,” she added.
All delivery drivers will receive training on the Challenge 25 policy, the firm’s representative said, and each driver has a “specific version” of the app, which has “age-restricted sales controls”.
Drivers won’t be able to deliver without completing checks and will be required to input what ID was provided and the customer’s date of birth, the Licensing Board was told.
SPAR’s representative said the speed of deliveries, which usually take place between 10am and 8pm, depended on the availability of items. She said it could be a couple of hours but was not as quick as walking to the store.
In response, Ms Smith said the Snappy Shopper app “did say within half an hour” and some people may take longer than half an hour to get to the store.
Ms Smith had told the board that the Craigend and Ruchazie data zones “continues to concern us in relation to the measurable alcohol related harms, which rates higher than the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area and for Scotland”.
“Our main concern is in relation to the addition of click and collect and home delivery,” she added. “The NHS continues to be concerned about the high number of off-sales licensed premises in the city, especially those in areas identified as already adversely impacted by alcohol harm and serving residential areas.
“Data from the monitoring and evaluating of Scotland’s alcohol strategy continues to suggest that purchasing alcohol for consumption at home is the main factor in driving alcohol harms.”
She added the HSCP was “unable to determine from the information available to us what the time delay is likely to be between the order and delivery”. “This has potential to substantially increase the ease of access to alcohol in the community which is already experiencing harm.”
SPAR also asked for a “small increase” to its capacity due to “alcohol display fittings being updated”. The Licensing Board agreed to the change.
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