The Licensing Panel met to consider a new premises licence application and to approve the minutes of their previous meeting. Councillor Zarina Amin was appointed as Chair of the meeting. The panel approved a licence for Shawcross Store, with conditions.

Licensing Act 2003 - Application for Shawcross Store, 128 Smallwood Road, Shaw Cross, Dewsbury, WF12 7RR

The Licensing Panel approved the application for a premises licence for Shawcross Store at 128 Smallwood Road, Shaw Cross, Dewsbury, WF12 7RR, permitting the sale of alcohol (off premises) between 6:00am and 10:00pm, Monday to Sunday.

The licensing department received the application on 7 July 2025. The applicant, Shawcross Store LTD, sought to sell alcohol between 6:00am and 11:00pm daily. The application was advertised according to the requirements of the Licensing Act 2003.

Ward Councillors Cathy Scott and Paul Moore objected to the application, raising concerns that it would undermine the four licensing objectives¹. Their representations stated that granting the licence could lead to:

• Increased crime and disorder, as the area is already affected by antisocial behaviour, drugs, and petty crime.
• Compromised public safety, particularly for vulnerable elderly residents, due to increased footfall and alcohol-related disturbances.
• Increased public nuisance due to late-night noise from customers.
• Harm to children, who may be exposed to alcohol-related behaviour.

Councillor Cathy Scott noted that she had already received complaints of drink/drug fuelled partying and drinking into the early hours in the area. She also stated that there were already several licensed premises in the vicinity, including:

• Jet Garage (4 minutes away)
• Shell Garage (2 minutes away)
• Hanging Heaton Club (5 minutes away)
• Late Shop (Coop) (11 minutes away)
• Tesco (12 minutes away)

The applicant included steps they intended to take to promote the four licensing objectives in their application, including:

• Training for all staff involved in the retail sale of alcohol.
• Installation and operation of a CCTV system.
• Maintenance of an incident register.
• Maintenance of a refusals register.
• Display of notices asking customers to leave quietly and respect local residents.
• Adoption of a 'Challenge 25' policy². The Panel considered Kirklees Council's Statement of Licensing Policy and the Secretary of State Guidance issued under Section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The Panel approved the minutes of the meeting held on 12 August 2025 as a correct record.