A shop surrounded by student accommodation in Manchester will be allowed to sell alcohol until 4am every day despite strong opposition from neighbours. Residents of the Aquarius and Loxford estates in Hulme have branded the Spar, which already opens until 2am on Saturdays, as a 'beacon of badness'.
They fear the later opening hours means they will be woken up by loud drunk people from outside of the neighbourhood looking to buy booze late at night. A town hall hearing held last week heard that the area already suffers from anti-social behaviour such as street drinking, littering and late night noise.
Speaking at the licensing hearing on October 10, one resident reported that people regularly urinate in the garden that is directly next door to the shop. Residents were concerned that extending the licence for the store in Stretford Road would only exacerbate these existing issues – and the police agreed.
