Pleasant Point bottle store application draws opposition

Sunday, 21 March 2021

A Timaru-based bottle store owner wants to establish a liquor outlet at the site of the former Pleasant Point café The Steamer.

A Timaru-based bottle store owner wanting to establish a liquor outlet in nearby Pleasant Point is facing a dozen objections.

Singh Trading (2016) Limited has applied for an off-licence to operate a bottle store at 57 Main Road, Pleasant Point.

Company director Mandeep Singh will make his case before the Timaru District Licensing Committee on Monday.

If approved, it would be the only bottle store in the township, although there are off-licences held by Four Square and Pleasant Point Hotel.

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Pleasant Point's Four Square Supermarket is one of two existing off-licences in the township.

Singh’s evidence brief to the committee says he is based in Timaru, already owns a Bottle-O store outlet in Seaview, and he had found a “large number” of his customers came from Pleasant Point.

“Given I have been able to successfully operate my current business, I felt there was a need in the market,” his brief says.

Singh’s brief says he intends to work with the Pleasant Point Hotel when it came to supplying alcohol as he understood the hotel was “not using its off-licence”.

The proposed premise is currently unoccupied but used to house The Steamer café.

“I have chosen this location as it is on the main thoroughfare of Pleasant Point for people travelling, and part of the main township and retail precinct in the town.’’

South Canterbury Medical Officer of Health Dr Cheryl Brunton’s submission questioned the suitability of the applicant, given the fact he had failed a Controlled Purchase Operation.

Brunton also opposes the proposed location of the store, which would be 100m from St Joseph’s Primary, and 500m from two childcare centres and another primary school.

“The area across the road from the premises has a history of attracting young people who congregate and consume alcohol, sometimes resulting in anti-social behaviour,” Brunton’s submission says.

“In these circumstances, I consider it is undesirable, potentially unsafe and inappropriate for an additional off-licence to be issued in this area and in this case I oppose the application.”

Singh acknowledges that he failed a Controlled Purchase Operation (CPO) in 2018 and said he lost his manager’s licence for 30 days as a result. He said this occurred when he was operating a store in Hillcrest, Hamilton.

The Pleasant Point Hotel also has an off-licence.

'I have learnt from my mistake, and it will not happen again. I also paid for my mistake as I had to close my Hillcrest store and not use my manager's certificate.'

“At the time of the CPO, I had had some thefts from the store, and I was worried as someone had come behind the counter and hit me and grabbed some bottles and ran away,” Singh’s brief says.

“The next day I failed the CPO. I know that is no excuse.”

Singh said he had sold his Bottle-O store in Hillcrest because he was tired of the threats and attacks made on him at the store.

Singh told Stuff should he get the approval for the off-licence at Pleasant Point, he will move into the three-bedroom house behind the site.

He said he “really enjoyed Timaru” since moving to the town in 2019, as “people are very friendly”.

Pleasant Point Primary School board of trustees chairperson Rowan Rabbidge's submission says she was concerned about the example another off-licence premises would set for the community.

“Our school community feedback shows overwhelming concern from parents of school-age children about the impact of an additional alcohol seller in our town, in particular for a business whose sole purpose is to sell alcohol and alcohol-related products,” Rabbidge’s submission says.

St Joseph’s Primary School board of trustees member Aroha Stewart shared Rabbidge’s concerns.

“I believe having an alcohol retailer this close to our church and school leaves the community vulnerable to saturation,” Stewart’s submission says, adding a new off-licence would “add to the existing noise, disturbance and vandalism we currently experience”.

In its submission, Opihi Catholic Parish says it is “extremely worried” about the application, and points out the town’s small population making it unsuitable for an extra store.

Pleasant Point resident Sue Wills’ submission says “we don’t want the blight of another liquor store in our quaint town and would far rather attract a café, restaurant or retail shops”.

The hearing will take place at the Pleasant Point Town Hall at 9.30am on Monday.