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From: Laura Green
Sent: 26 April 2022 11:54
To: Licensing <licencing@sevenoaks.gov.uk>
Subject: Re: Application 22/01328/LAPRE - FAO: Louise Davis
Good Morning,
Re: 22/01328/LAPRE
I understand that the above reference number refers to a licensing application for two units to be knocked into one and made into a convenience store within the Appledore Court shops on Hildenborough Crescent, Allington, Maidstone, Kent.
I am a close neighbour to Appledore Court and I would like to submit my personal objections to this application.
Firstly, Hildenborough Crescent and the connecting roads are home to a lot of families with young children especially as Allington Primary School is located on Hildenborough Crescent, therefore I feel that the safety of the community could be compromised should this licensing application be approved. I feel this because a convenience store that sells alcohol and is open from 7am to 11pm would bring a lot of unwanted antisocial behaviour to the area. There is a play area park just next door to Appledore Court and I believe that the customers attracted to calling in the store later in the evening would purchase their alcohol and then take the opportunity of going to sit in the park to consume it. Then they could proceed to cause a lot of antisocial behaviour, disturbances to the nearby residents, litter and the chance of criminal activity occurring such as criminal damage, thefts, burglaries, drug taking and assaults, as it would all be alcohol fuelled.
Secondly, the amount of litter would significantly increase which deeply concerns me as it would be extremely hazardous to the young children, residents and the wildlife in the area. I feel that the litter would increase as there would be an increase in the amount of people coming to the area to purchase goods from a convenience store, the customers would most likely immediately consume their purchases once exiting the store, and drop the litter from their purchases in the surrounding area. Despite there being several bins in the area already, there is still a fair amount of litter around, without currently having a convenience store at Appledore Court. It is a very rare occasion that I see a designated paid Council worker picking up any of the litter in the neighbourhood at present.
Thirdly, there isn’t a car park for the customers of the shops at Appledore Court. The premises that are currently open for business there do generate a bit of traffic and the customers take up parking spaces on Hildenborough Crescent, however, it is not currently of a high volume and does not prevent the local residents from parking near their homes (as not all houses on Hildenborough Crescent have driveways). If the application was approved and the convenience store opened, I feel that it would be inevitable that there would be a vast increase in the number of vehicles coming and going along Hildenborough Crescent and for longer periods of time as well (7am-11pm). This would be to the detriment of the local residents as it would cause more danger to children and families wanting to cross the road, more pollution to the air with all the car fumes, more noise when the convenience store would receive regular stock deliveries and it would be more difficult for residents to find spaces to park outside their homes. Hildenborough Crescent currently has a 20mph speed limit which most vehicles do not stick to at present, this would also become worse and more dangerous to children and families with the increase in traffic as mentioned above.
Fourthly, the community doesn’t have a need for a convenience store at Appledore Court. We have The Mid Kent Shopping Centre very close by on Castle Road (which contains a Waitrose and a newsagent amongst others), there is a BP garage which has an M&S convenience store on London Road (at the junction with Castle Road) and there is a Tesco Express further down London Road at the junction with Grace Avenue. There really is no necessity for another convenience store.
I feel that approving this application would damage the reputation of Allington as a nice quiet family area, I have lived in the area for 10 years and I certainly would not feel happy or safe here anymore, due to the reasons outlined above.
Thank you for your time,
Kind regards
Mrs Green