Getir awarded alcohol licence but told no 24-hour deliveries

Getir faced opposition from Sussex Police and Brighton and Hove City Council to its plans to offer alcohol throughout the night.

It wanted to offer round-the-clock deliveries from its base in St Joseph’s Business Park, in St Joseph’s Mews, off Old Shoreham Road, Hove.

But council policy generally requires off-licences to close by 11pm outside the centre of Brighton.

Getir has become the latest in a raft of fast-growing grocery delivery operators to raise bumper cash injections to fuel ambitious growth plans

And this was the closing time agreed by a council licensing panel made up of three councillors – Lizzie Deane, Dee Simson and Carol Theobald.

At a licensing panel hearing on Thursday, August 5, Getir’s licensing consultant Chris Nixon, of Knight Training, said the policy was designed for shops where customers went in person, not people enjoying a drink delivered to their own home.

He said restricting the hours would be similar to prohibition.

But the panel said in its decision letter that it recognised Sussex Police and council licensing officials’ concerns about late-night deliveries.

• READ MORE: Delivery business fails in bid for booze licence

In particular the panel shared officials’ concerns about deliveries to parts of Brighton and Hove where policies are aimed at restricting new alcohol licences to drink-related crime and disorder.

Councillors noted Getir’s comments that alcohol sales were a small but important part of its business and that trade peaked between 5pm and 9pm and decreased through the night.

They said: “The panel acknowledges the suite of conditions put forward by the applicant but share the concerns of the police and the licensing authority in relation to late-night deliveries of alcohol to challenging areas which have high numbers of visitors and could be described as tourist and party destinations.

“The panel has concerns that another outlet offering fast alcohol delivery late at night to these areas is likely to add to the problems of antisocial behaviour and crime and disorder already experienced in these areas.”

Getir is a Turkish start-up founded in 2015

Getir can deliver alcohol from 9am to 11pm daily. All deliveries must be to a verifiable residential or business address.

All third-party delivery drivers must have the same level of training as Getir’s own drivers – and Getir must keep a record of all sales and deliveries for six months.

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