A new convenience shop in Woodley will be allowed to sell alcohol from early in the morning until late at night, it has been ruled – despite a neighbour’s fear it will bring ‘chaos’ to the area.

Mr Tajmeet Singh has plans to open the new Nisa store at the former site of Just Tiles on Headley Road. He asked Wokingham Borough Council for permission to sell alcohol there from 6am until 11pm.

But a neighbour, Mr S Singh, raised concerns that the hours would encourage anti-social behaviour, and cause noise and traffic problems. The two aired their views in front of councillors at a hearing on Tuesday, February 6.

Mr S Singh said he was worried that shop customers would loiter in the car park drinking into the night. But Mr Tajmeet Singh said drinking would not be allowed on the premises – including the car park.

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He said: “The car park is still part of the premises. That will be patrolled, that will be monitored, there will be litter bins, no alcohol consumption is allowed on the premises.”

Mr S Singh also said the proposed opening hours would cause traffic ‘chaos’ during the morning rush hour.

He said: “We know that by 8am at Just Tiles it’s completely blocked up, and if you have people trying to get into a shop to buy stuff and people trying to leave at the same time it just creates even more chaos.”

He suggested that opening hours should be 8am to 10pm Monday-Saturday and 10am to 10pm on Sundays.

But Mr Tajmeet Singh said a nearby Tesco Express on Hurricane Way already opened from 6am until 11pm. And he argued that an industrial park across the road from the proposed site already caused heavy traffic.

Mr Tajmeet Singh also pointed out that the application was for alcohol sales hours only – rather than opening hours.

Opening hours and traffic and parking requirements are usually determined as part of an application for planning permission. This is separate to an application for an alcohol sales license, and is decided by a different department at the council.

Mr Tajmeet Singh said an application for planning permission had also been submitted.

Councillors Rachel Burgess, Catherine Glover and Morag Mulvern – the members of the licensing and appeals hearings sub-committee – approved Mr Tajmeet Singh’s application.