Tesco wins alcohol sales bid after concern for neighbours

Tesco has won a licensing bid to sell alcohol at its proposed new store in Newbridge.

The supermarket firm is planning to take over the former Methodist Church, on Bridge Street, and open a Tesco Express there.

The new shop will likely open in late 2025, Caerphilly County Borough Council’s licensing committee was told at a meeting shortly before Christmas.

At the time, members heard Tesco wanted to sell alcohol between 6am and midnight each day, but a council environmental health officer had raised concerns about the impact of those hours on nearby residents.

Gareth Jones added the store had been proposed in a “very quiet little part of Newbridge” and claimed its opening “is going to hit the residents who live opposite quite hard”.

Mr Jones instead proposed alcohol sales hours of 7am to 11pm Monday to Saturday, and 7am to 10pm on Sunday.

Also present at that meeting, on Wednesday December 18, was Jeremy Bark, representing Tesco.

Mr Bark defended his client’s “incredibly responsible” policies on alcohol sales, telling the committee the firm would “rather be too restrictive than the other way around”.

But in light of Mr Jones’ concerns, Mr Bark offered a “compromise” proposal of licensing hours from 6am to 11pm daily.

He told the committee guidance would “normally” grant such hours unless there was “good evidence” to restrict them.

The committee members have since agreed unanimously to the “compromise” licensable hours proposed by Mr Bark, subject to several conditions including CCTV, staff training and a “good neighbour ethos”.