On 20 December, City of Edinburgh Council granted an application by Tesco for an alcohol offsales licence at its soon-to-open Express store on Picardy Place (currently under development).
The decision will dismay local traders keen to restrict the impending supermarket's impact on general footfall and sales of like products in neighbouring Broughton Street and Leith Walk.
It will also annoy locals already disturbed by alcohol-fuelled disruption starting in Greenside/Picardy Place and later trickling down through Broughton streets, particularly at weekends in the small hours.
In the last year there have been calls for no more alcohol licences to be granted in this well-provisioned part of town (along the lines of the Grassmarket and Cowgate limit). Many thought the Council viewed these calls sympathetically and actively supported them. But in CEC's 'Statement of Licensing Policy' issued on 22 November 2010, officials said the true situation in Greenside/Picardy Place was not yet clear and that until a determination was made permission would be decided on a case-by-case basis (see Point 9.3 in the pdf extract below.)
This November 'Statement' – launched with so little fanfare that no-one we've spoken to has even heard of it – has wrongfooted many locals.
In Villeneuve Wines, for example, Assistant Manager Beth Darbyshire is shocked. She thought there was a block on all new alcohol offsale licences in the area, and so believed that this particular battle had already been won. She described the news as 'really really bad', an example of 'big-bully business getting its way against all odds'. She points to existing problems with drunken behaviour in the area, and now thinks it will get worse. As well as worrying about Villeneuve's potential loss of trade, she fears for the future of small newsagents, general merchants and greengrocers on Broughton Street.
Steven Glodek of Vino Wineshop said the business he works for had objected to Tesco's licence application on the grounds of local overprovision. He was appalled to hear it had been approved. He formerly worked at a Thresher's in Grange Loan, and when a Tesco moved in nearby the shop immediately lost thousands of pounds' worth of business per week. His assessment: 'It's now a major case of fingers crossed for Broughton Street'.
Lucy Tanat-Jones, leader of the Broughton Street Traders Association, was personally aghast yesterday but has yet to issue an official comment.
Contrary to earlier reports, Spurtle now understands that the New Town and Broughton Community Council (NTBCC) commented timeously on the application. In their letter they wrote: 'We feel there is an oversupply of licensed premises in the immediate vicinity, and are concerned about a new off sales in an area that already sees significant antisocial behaviour at the weekends – often focused around the u18s disco on Picardy Place, the Omni Centre or street drinkers around The Manuscript of Monte Casino. We would like to see a 6pm restriction on off sales in this, and any future new licence applications'.
Bearing all this in mind, and without intending to blame individuals or groups, the following observations are worth making:
- Individuals, community bodies and small commercial organisations face enormous problems dealing with professional and experienced juggernauts like Tesco. Lacking time, resources, focus, coordination and expertise, communities – those loose, local associations of otherwise busy people which Tesco boasts of supporting – are easily outperformed in civic processes.
- Since it started in May 2009 (Issue 171), the Broughton Street Traders Association has generated positive publicity for the area, but it has not developed proactive self-defence systems of its own or sufficiently engaged the NTBCC to act on its behalf.
- City of Edinburgh Council has been slow to evaluate the situation in Greenside/Picardy Place, and completely unsuccessful at communicating current policy to those locals who most needed to know.
- The result is widespread – and Spurtle genuinely believes unfounded – suspicion of collusion between major commercial investors and City officials. This is a poisonous myth which must be debunked asap.
- Until a decision is made regarding the problems facing Greenside/Picardy Place, Spurtle suggests CEC impose a moratorium on granting any new hot-food carry-out licences here. Without one, who would bet against Tesco adding another string to its bow and further undermining Broughton Street's commercial prospects?
- Arguably, Broughton's best hope now lies in convincing Licensing officals that problems associated with overprovision of alcohol licences do indeed exist in Greenside/Picardy Place. If such a case were made successfully, perhaps the most recently granted alcohol offsale licences could be withdrawn first when they come up for renewal.
- Cities are political entities. Citizens – organised and determined and exercising pressure through their elected representatives – can with enough energy reshape cities to match their aspirations. Sufficiently energetic locals may yet have the last laugh.