Calls to refuse Bilston garage’s 24-hour alcohol plan

Motor Fuel Group wants to change the licence at its petrol garage at the Morrisons supermarket next to the Black Country Route in Bilston to allow alcohol to be sold 24/7.

The local authority’s licensing department has called for the 24-hour move to be refused over ‘insufficient’ information in the application on how the longer hours would not add to existing alcohol problems.

Wolverhampton is a “regional outlier” for alcohol-related harm and hospital admissions due to alcohol, according to the city’s public health department, while also having one of the highest alcohol-specific death rates in the UK.

Bilston High Street, Church Street and the Morrisons supermarket also makes up what the council calls a ‘cumulative impact zone’ because of the area’s higher crime and disorder rates and the ‘density’ of pubs, clubs, late-night venues and takeaways.

The council’s latest licensing policy, which was updated this year, puts the onus on applicants to prove how potentially longer licensing hours would not add to existing alcohol-fuelled issues in ‘problem areas’.

Applications would be refused in higher-risk ‘cumulative impact zones’ unless the applicant could prove the venue would not be a burden or add to existing problems.

The policy adds that off licences should stick to ‘normal’ 11pm opening hours – or earlier in ‘densely populated areas’ – unless there were “exceptional circumstances” which the city’s public health team said there were not.

City of Wolverhampton Council’s licensing subcommittee meets on May 8 to make a decision.

The council’s other cumulative impact zones include most of Wolverhampton city centre, Dudley Road and Phoenix Park in Blakenhall, Wednesfield High Street and Bentley Bridge Retail Park, and the Avion Centre in Whitmore Reans.

Motor Fuel Group agreed a £2.5bn deal with Morrisons in 2024 to buy more than 300 of the supermarket’s petrol forecourts.

A licence was granted in February which allowed the sale of alcohol from 6am to 11pm and late night refreshments – hot and cold food and drink – from 11pm to 5am.