TESCO still has its sights set on Callow’s Yard, in Castletown, it has been confirmed.
In October the supermarket giant was refused an alcohol licence for a proposed Express store for the second time.
And when the licensing court confirmed that Tesco had not appealed the decision within the 14-day time period it looked like Tesco’s interest in the Malew Street premises had ended as it had said it needed to sell alcohol to be financially viable.
But Callow’s Yard developer Roy Tilleard has confirmed this is not the case.
‘A survey has been carried out in conjunction with a licencing application for a proposed Tesco Express store in Castletown,’ he said.
‘The survey has been undertaken by MORI on behalf of Callow’s Yard Ltd and Tesco.
‘The focus of the survey is about alcohol shopping in the south of the island.’
The first application for an alcohol licence was turned down in April last year, when the court said it was not satisfied there was a need for further licensed premises in Castletown centre.
Following the hearing, a survey by Ashgrove Marketing was commissioned by Tesco, and submitted as part of its evidence at the second hearing to show the need exists.
But Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes, who chaired the licensing court, said the court didn’t hold the survey as ‘credible evidence’, because of the ‘limited circulation’ and because the question of whether there was a need for an additional licence wasn’t directly asked.
‘The court finds it can attach very little weight to the findings of that survey,’ she said.
Explaining the reasons for the second refusal of the alcohol licence, Mrs Hughes had said the court was ‘shocked’ by the current ratio of alcohol licences in Castletown to residents.
The court heard there was one licence per every 80 households in Castletown and Malew, and one off-licence per 519 Castletown residents.
Mrs Hughes said the court had been ‘impressed’ by the evidence submitted by two objecting parties, Castletown Commissioners’ chairman Kevin Weir and Castletown MHK Richard Ronan, adding: ‘They both recognised there was a need for further development but despite that they are both adamant the further provision of an alcohol licence would be detrimental to Castletown.’
The potential problems with parking and deliveries, which were raised as a concern by police inspector Mark Newey, were also taken into consideration.
We received a mixed response from Castletown shoppers to the licensing court’s decision.
While Brian Harris, of Athol Park, Port Erin raised his concern a Tesco Express would do harm to existing traders, Robert Bardsley, of Callow’s Yard, said he wanted to see the store as it would create jobs and boost other businesses.
