CONCERNS have been raised about plans for another new alcohol licence in a Wyke business.

Next Tuesday Bradford Council’s District Licensing Panel will decide whether to permit a new business in the village, Abrakadabra on Town Gate, to sell alcohol.

But two local Councillors have called for the licence to be blocked - and say Wyke already has an abundance of businesses selling alcohol.

More shops selling alcohol could exacerbate existing problems with antisocial behaviour in the village, they add.

And they point to anti social behaviour in parts of the town, including Wyke Recreation Ground, as a reason to stop more businesses from selling booze.

The application , submitted by Patrycja Dominika Andrukianiec, calls for a licence to serve alcohol at the business, at 13 Town Gate, during its opening hours - 8am to 11pm.

Residents speak of 'out of control' youths terrorising Wyke

The licensing department has received objections from Councillor Sarah Ferriby (Lab, Wyke) who is also a member of the Council’s Executive, and Councillor David Warburton (Lab, Wyke), who chairs the Council’s Regulatory and Appeals Committee.

At next week’s meeting members will decide whether to grant the licence.

In a letter to the licensing department, Cllr Warburton said: “I have concerns over this application.

“As there have been a number of anti-social behaviour incidents within this area with youths and school aged children, the opportunity to have the provision in such close proximity to areas where the incidents have occurred, on Towngate, at Wyke Recreation Ground and in and around a children’s play area, need to be controlled.

“I am concerned that such a licence be granted to this application as this area of the ward already has a large number of retail outlets that are licensed to provide alcohol for a greater part of the day already.

“There are also a number of public houses within this local area.

“I would therefore not be supportive of any application to increase the number of outlets with a premises licence.”

In a separate letter Cllr Ferriby echoes many of the concerns, saying: “There have been incidents in this area involving antisocial behaviour, this application is very close to a recreation ground, which includes a play area.”

In August the panel met to discuss an alcohol licence for another Wyke business.

The application for Bells News and Booze on Huddersfield Road also attracted objections, with a number of Wyke residents telling the committee the area was plagued by “out of control youths.”

One resident said: “There is an influx of alcohol into Wyke. We’ve already got youths running amok in shops, grabbing bottles.”

Another said: “Wyke is known for its bad anti social behaviour. Children are out of control.”

That application was eventually approved by the Licensing Panel.

A report from that meeting in the Telegraph & Argus received a mixed response, with some readers acknowledging problems with antisocial behaviour in Wyke but some calling it “sensationalist nonsense.”

The panel meets in City Hall at 10am next Tuesday.