To inform Members that an application has been received for the grant of a premises licence under the Licensing Act 2003 from Mr Kathirgamamoorthy Balasamy for the sale of alcohol off the premises at High Street Express, 23 High Street, Clacton on Sea, Essex and further that objections to the proposed licensable activity have been received from members of the public.

Members were made aware that an application had been received from Mr Kathirgamamoorthy Balasamy for the grant of a premises licence, under the Licensing Act 2003, for the sale of alcohol off the premises at High Street Express, 23 High Street, Clacton-on-Sea, and further that objections to that proposed licensable activity had been received from members of the public.

 

It was reported that the applicant had described High Street Express as a convenience store selling groceries, food, drinks, confectionery, tobacco and alcohol.  The property was a terraced house with the shop located on the ground floor.

 

The Sub-Committee was informed that the applicant proposed to open to the public on the following days/hours:

 

Everyday                                             07:00 to 00:00

 

Sale of Alcohol Off the Premises Hours:

 

Everyday                                             07:00 to 00:00

 

The full application was attached at Appendix A to the Officer report (A.1).

 

The Sub-Committee was advised that five representations/objections had been received from residents in relation to this application. Those representations/objections had been attached at Appendix B to the Officer report (A.1). No representations had been received from the Responsible Authorities.

 

The Licensing Manager reported that an email dated 13 March 2026 further clarifying matters had been received from the applicant. That email had been circulated to the ‘objectors’ and no comments had been received thereon. Prior to the commencement of the meeting that email had also been circulated to the Sub-Committee. That email had stated the following:-

 

“I have carefully reviewed the concerns raised by local residents and members of the public, and I wish to address these points directly to demonstrate my commitment to the licensing objectives:-

 

1.       Prevention of Crime and Disorder

 

To ensure High Street Express does not contribute to existing alcohol related anti-social behaviour in the town centre, I am committed to the following:-

 

§  CCTV: we will install a comprehensive digital CCTV system covering all entry/exit points and internal aisles. Recordings will be kept for 31 days and made available to the Police.

§  Incident Logs: a formal incident book will be maintained to record any instances of disorder or refused sales.

§  No high-strength sales: to discourage street drinking, I am willing to agree to a condition that no super-strength beers, lagers or ciders (above 6.5% ABV) will be sold.

 

2.       Public Safety and Public Nuisance

 

Regarding concerns about litter, noise and congregation:

 

§  Litter: staff will conduct regular “sweep ups” of the immediate shop frontage to ensure no litter from our products accumulates.

§  Congregation: signs will be prominently displayed asking customers to leave the area quietly and not to consume alcohol or loiter immediately outside the premises.

§  Operating hours: I note the concern regarding the proposed 07:00 to 00:00 hours. I am open to discussing a reduction in these hours if the Licensing Authority deems it necessary to align with the local environment.

 

3.       Protection of Children from Harm

 

§  Challenge 25: we will operate a strict “Challenge 25” policy. Only valid photo ID (passport, driving licence or PASS accredited cards) will be accepted.

§  Staff training: all staff will undergo rigorous training every six months on age-restricted sales, the signs of proxy purchasing and how to handle confrontations.

 

4.       Cumulative impact on the locality

 

While I understand the concern regarding the number of existing off-licences, High Street Express aims to be a high-quality convenience store serving the community’s daily needs rather than a business that promotes irresponsible drinking.

 

Conclusion

 

I am a responsible operator and am keen to work with both Tendring District Council and local residents. I would welcome the opportunity to meet with the objectors or the Police to discuss additional conditions that could be added to the licence to mitigate their concerns.”

 

The applicant, Mr. Balasamy, attended the meeting and addressed the Sub?Committee in support of the application and reiterated the points made in his email as detailed above.

 

Questions by Members:-	Applicant’s Answers:-
What staff will be present late at night and will they be experienced?	I am very experienced from my other shop I owned in Harrow Council.
How many staff will be present in the evening?	Two, at least. Myself and one other.
Are you certain that you can police the store in the evening and late at night? Will there be a ‘strong’ member of staff present the store and their colleagues?	Yes, I am. Definitely yes.
Would you be happy to reduce the hours for the sale of alcohol off the premises to an 11.00 p.m. finish?	Yes, that’s fine. No problem with that.

 

The Licensing Manager confirmed that none of the residents who had submitted the five representations/objections, in relation to this application, were present at the meeting.

 

The Chairman (Councillor A Cossens) then adjourned the meeting at this time whilst the Sub-Committee retired to deliberate and reach its decision. The Corporate Director (Law & Governance) (Lisa Hastings) and the Democratic Services Manager (Ian Ford) retired with the Sub-Committee for observatory reasons only.

 

Upon resuming the meeting, the Chairman (Councillor A Cossens) read out a statement detailing the Sub-Committee’s decision (which had been moved by Councillor Davidson, seconded by Councillor Casey and unanimously resolved), which was as follows:

 

“The Sub Committee has given careful consideration to this application. The premises is High Street Express, 23 High Street, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex.

 

In reaching its decision, we have taken into account the views expressed by the Applicant, the objections received, although none attended the hearing today, as well as the representations from Tendring District Council’s Licensing Manager, Michael Cook. The Council has considered statutory guidance and the Licensing Authority's Policy.

 

The Sub-Committee is asked to consider an application for the grant of a Premises Licence with the proposed hours for opening and the sale of alcohol every day from 7am to midnight.  The application has been determined in its own right and on its own merit.

 

It has also considered the licensing objectives namely, the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance and the protection of children from harm.

 

The Sub-Committee noted the conditions offered by the Applicant and his offer to reduce closing time to 23:00 every evening, in acknowledgement of the objections received.

 

The decision of the Sub-Committee is to grant the Premises Licence for the sale of alcohol off the premises for the following hours:

 

07:00am until 11:00pm – everyday

 

There has been no advice from the Legal Advisor in arriving at this decision.

 

Anyone aggrieved by this decision can appeal to the Magistrates Court within the relevant statutory period.

 

You will receive notification in writing of this decision in 5 days.”