Couple grilled on off-licence plans

They then waited another 20 minutes while the three-member panel deliberated in private.

Eight neighbours had lodged objections with Rother District Council. They said the area was already prone to noise, disturbance, crime and vandalism and said an off-licence would make this worse.

In particular, they were worried that it would worsen the problems they are already suffering from youngsters congregating in the bus shelter opposite the proposed off-licence.

Applicants Darren and Graham Brabner, who already run Kerry's Wine Bar at the Sea Road-Marina junction, said they were mindful of the need to protect their licence.

They explained how they planned to have two CCTV cameras in the off-licence and a third outside.

Graham Brabner said he lived nearby and from his office he would have a clear line-of-sight of the front of the off-licence.

Mr Brabner told the panel: "Since Unwins closed in Sackville Road there is no proper off-licence in this area."

He said there was a market for an off-licence in Terminus Road and, stocking a similar range of wines to those offered at the wine bar, they hoped to encourage the public to sample a wider range than available elsewhere.

In answer to the panel, Mr Brabner said the premises were fairly small and it would be easier for off-licence staff to ensure that alcohol was not sold to under-age drinkers than for staff in the town's supermarkets.

If youngsters did hang about outside the premises he would attempt to reason with them to move on. If this failed, he would ring the police station. "It is only 200 yards up the road," added Mr Brabner.

Asked about the application for 9am to 11pm opening hours, he said this was purely for the purposes of the application. They would test the market conditions and open appropriately.

He anticipated that they would remain open longer in summer than in winter.

Chairman Cllr Wendy Miers said on the panel's return from its deliberations that members had considered carefully the points raised by the objectors.

On balance, they felt that they could grant the application for a premises licence, subject to a series of conditions which included the provision of CCTV cameras.