Hastings Wine Shop Licence Application Referred To Panel After Police Objection

A licensing application linked to a Hastings convenience store is due to go in front of councillors as a result of police objections.

On Wednesday (January 28), a Hastings Borough Council licensing panel is due to consider an application linked to The Wine Shop — a convenience store and off-licence in Battle Road.

The application seeks permission to name Karim Akhleequi as the store’s new Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS).

But Sussex Police has objected to the transfer on the grounds of the “prevention of crime and disorder”.

In a written objection, Inspector Simon Burroughs of Sussex Police Licensing said Sussex Police is in the process of putting forward a review application, through which the force would seek to have the store stripped of its licence.

Insp Burroughs said it had also emerged during the investigation that the store’s currently registered DPS — an individual named as Ange Parth — was no longer involved in the business.

Mr Parth “had not been local to Hastings for over three years”, Insp Burroughs said.

The former DPS had also been “residing in America for a period” and was “uncontactable”, the licensing inspector said.

Premises licensed to sell alcohol are required by law to have a DPS. Such a person is required to be on site for the majority of time a business is open and is expected to be a main point of contact for responsible authorities, such as police.

If a DPS leaves a business for any reason, a new DPS must be appointed before the business can make any alcohol sales.

By applying to become the DPS, Mr Akhleequi has effectively become the new DPS during the application process.

This would continue to be the case should a decision to refuse the transfer be taken to appeal, a council report notes.

The report also notes how Mr Akhleequi is already the store’s Premises Licence Holder (PLH). In other words, Mr Akhleequi owns the licence, which allows the store to sell alcohol.

All interested parties will have the opportunity to address the panel before it makes its decision on the application.

Interested parties will also have the right to appeal any decision made by the panel through the court system.