A WOMAN speaking on behalf of up to 40 families living just outside a Wirral town centre said they are facing “drug taking, alcohol, drug dealing” every day of the week. Crime is reportedly getting worse in Birkenhead town centre according to Merseyside Police and people living there.

The issues around crime and antisocial behaviour in the town were brought up by the Westbourne Road Community Association (WRCA) as well as Merseyside Police in opposition to plans to allow a Premier on Grange Road West to sell alcohol. They argued the number of off-licences in the area was already causing major problems.

Balasivamoorthy Krishnamoorthy, whose shop is open already, had asked the council for permission to be open from 7am to 11pm every day of the week and sell alcohol from 9am to 11pm. However at a Wirral Council licensing committee meeting on November 20, his legal representatives said he would be changing this to 10am to 7pm in light of concerns raised.

Merseyside Police, councillors, neighbours and the WRCA had all raised concerns about antisocial behaviour and street drinkers putting people off visiting the area. The police also said a new licence would undermine a Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) policy that looks to manage the number of off licences in Birkenhead town centre to reduce alcohol-related crime.

However Andrea Forest from Forest Solicitors said evidence presented by the police to the committee didn’t link crime to alcohol or show an increase and previous issues weren’t relevant to Mr Krishnamoorthy.  She said: “There’s not a shred of evidence against this shop or this application,” adding: “It wouldn’t stand scrutiny in a court of law.”

At the meeting, a WRCA representative speaking on behalf of around 30 to 40 families, said 27 people were seen in the area getting drunk and taking drugs on Halloween and a nearby community space was set on fire and damaged in recent years. They said the area had seen low levels of crime in the past but was now becoming a hotspot.

They said: “I am extremely passionate about Birkenhead. I live in one of the areas off Grange Road. We deal with this 24/7, seven days a week. Drug taking, alcohol, drug dealing,” adding: “This is tiring. This is extremely tiring to see. We do not need another off-licence.”

She said: “We are trying to rebuild Birkenhead, trying to make it a future for the next generation,” adding: “It’s heartbreaking. It’s really heartbreaking. I am sat here fighting for my community at the end of the day.”

The WRCA claimed a parent had contacted them to report their child was able to buy a vape from the shop and questioned whether the shop could stick to licensing rules. However this was not backed up by evidence and reports the shop was already selling alcohol had already been investigated by the police and turned out to be false.

Merseyside Police said the council’s CIA policy had been in effect since 2017 and renewed several times by the local authority and in a meeting on November 14, it was recommended for approval again after another review.

The police said the number of off licences in the area would have a huge impact undermining the CIA policy as well as concerns two hostels for the homeless are within a mile. However the police did praise promises made by the Premier not to sell cheap alcohol and single cans.

Police officer Sergeant Chris Clinch said the current building works on Grange Road was pushing people out of the town centre and into nearby streets, adding: “We have had people fighting with glass bottles, people fighting with sticks and those were all people in this area.”

Merseyside Police said crime had increased but didn’t provide councillors with numbers showing this at the meeting. Officers also said a public space protection order (PSPO) was being considered with the council because of the amount of crime.

Police pointed out the building was also previously the centre of child exploitation abuse when it was named Best Price newsagents. Ilavarasan and Vinothan Rajenthiram were found guilty of 27 sex offences against eight victims in 2017 following a police investigation.

Ilavarasan was sentenced to 22 and a half years, with 18 and a half in custody and four years to be spent on extended licence. Vinothan was sentenced to 18 years with 14 in custody and four on extended licence.

The shop closed in 2016 but was repeatedly vandalised afterwards including racially motivated threats made against previous tenants in the flat above. Merseyside Police said this criminal history had led to concerns in 2023 that the place could be torched.

It was raised during the meeting that a family member of the two brothers still owned the property, which has been confirmed in Land Registry documents by the LDRS. Mr Krishnamoorthy’s representative Ms Forest said he planned to buy the property.

Police said there were concerns in the community the shop could become a target again though they had been reassured by the fact there had been no incidents since the shop opened. Although the brothers were sentenced in 2017, the person speaking on behalf of Westbourne Road said: “It’s still very very raw. We still have families in the area,” adding the community still thought the businesses were related.

However Ms Forest was keen to stress there was no connection between her client, Mr Krishnamoorthy, and the previous licence owners or the owner of the building and planned to eventually buy it. She said the “exceptionally run” shop being able to sell alcohol would drive up standards and reassure concerns in the community, urging councillors to approve the application on its own merits.

Ms Forest pointed to Mr Krishnamoorthy’s management of two shops in Wallasey including one in Wallasey Village for 15 years and that he had successfully turned around a store on Liscard Road that had had its licence revoked. She said there would be clear signage about refusing to sell alcohol to street drinkers, 16 CCTV cameras, and the shop wouldn’t be selling cheap booze.

She said the CIA policy wasn’t a reason to reject the application and pointed to recent comments by police officers that a recent action day saw no shops breach their licence. No test purchases have also been carried out on the Grange Road West shop.

She said: “I must make it really clear that this isn’t just a backstreet offie. This is a well kitted out convenience store,” adding: “Not all residents feel the same way due to the history but a lot of them have given support.” A petition was presented to councillors in support of the application calling for alcohol sales.

Due to the Premier name attached to the business and is overseen by the company, Ms Forest added: “If they do something wrong, Premier will come down on them like a tonne of bricks.” She said Mr Krishnamoorthy was aware of the issues in the area and would take steps not to add to the problems.

However council officers raised concerns about the number of conditions attached to the licence, questioning whether they were relevant to the type of business Mr Krishnamoorthy was running or specific to the business. Incorrect or non-answers were given on two questions relating to deliveries and waste management though Ms Forest raised language issues and argued Mr Krishnamoorthy couldn’t be expected to remember all specifics.

Councillor Andrew Hodson said that despite a number of assurances given over the application, councillors didn’t consider there were exceptional circumstances to override the CIA policy for the town centre, adding: “We have therefore resolved it would be proportionate and appropriate to refuse the application.”

The council rejected a different application for the shop on similar grounds in 2017. Mr Krishnamoorthy will have the right to appeal the council’s decision.