Two branches of North East bakery giant Greggs in central Newcastle will be allowed to open 24 hours a day despite fears they could become a “focal point” for crime. The chain had applied for a new licence from Newcastle City Council to extend the hours at stores on Grainger Street and opposite Central Station.
Speaking at a licensing hearing last week, Northumbria Police representatives warned that by extending the two licences until 5am – thereby allowing them to open all day – drunken people would be encouraged to stay in the city centre later into the night. Greggs argued that it was an “exceptional” operator and would take steps to ensure a 24/7 operation would not add to city centre crime issues.
This included having two door supervisors on duty from 10pm to 5am and requiring some staff to wear body-worn cameras. It was also pointed out that the Neville Street unit already opens until 4.30am most days and that the Grainger Street site opens until 4am from Wednesday to Saturday.
Public health officials raised concerns that the new opening hours could contribute to obesity in the city. It was argued that McDonalds is already open 24/7 nearby.
The committee decided to grant both applications as requested. In a decision notice, the council said: “The Applicant is a nationally recognised, reputable, and established operator who, as part of these applications, proposed a comprehensive set of conditions.
“Committee agreed that these conditions exceed standard expectations, not only mitigating any potential negative cumulative impact in the area but also actively promoting the licensing objectives.
“Committee expressed its appreciation to the Police for their evidence. It was noted that the majority of incidents recorded at the premises occurred outside the hours relevant to late-night refreshment.
“In most cases, Greggs staff were the complainants or victims, and committee accepted that there was no indication the applicant had contributed to these incidents. While a crime-free environment is ideal, Committee does not believe it is appropriate to penalise licence holders for responsibly reporting incidents, particularly when they or their staff are victims.”
