Market's all-day alcohol plan scaled back

A plan to sell alcohol during events at a market has been scaled back amid concerns over possible disorder.

City of Wolverhampton Council applied to change its licence for the newly revamped Bilston Market to allow the all-day sale of alcohol from 08:00 to 23:00, with the authority's markets manager saying the plan would apply only to specific events in the venue's new events space.

Two Bilston councillors raised objections over fears the early and late-night hours would add to crime and anti-social behaviour problems in the town centre.

The council's licensing committee backed the plan, however, but revised the hours to between 10:00 and 22:00.

Live and recorded music, dance performances, and film and play showings are also included within the terms of the new licence for the outdoor market which re-opened in July, after £9m improvements and an eight-month delay.

The facility, with more than 170 stalls, includes a new canopy to protect stallholders, upgraded toilets, enhanced stalls, new signage and the events space.

Councillor Linda Leach had said in her objection that she was concerned that allowing alcohol to be sold "from the premises for such an extensive period" could potentially contribute to "increased incidents of anti-social behaviour, public nuisance and alcohol-related disorder", both in the market and the surrounding town centre.

The councillor, who was not at the licensing hearing on Monday, stated the town centre was a busy community area and the market was used by residents including "families, older people and vulnerable members of the community".

She said: "I would therefore be concerned about any increase in alcohol-related behaviour that could negatively affect their experience of using the market and surrounding public areas."

Councillor Leigh New shared concerns the long hours could add to crime and disorder and public nuisance.

The council's markets manager Joanne Till said the representations submitted by the two councillors "provide no information about how the extended market licence would impact the wider town centre".

She stated: "This is not sufficient to review the application based on something that is unlikely to occur."

Till added that on the contrary "the conditions submitted as part of the application are far more robust than the existing conditions".

The scheme had been developed "to provide assurance that when events are taking place on the market that they are of the highest standard and are not impacting on the neighbouring areas", she said.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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