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Whats in Wapping

Costcutter in Wapping – Resident Views

by What's in Wapping on July 10, 2010 in Issues & Discussions

Costcutter in Wapping – Resident Views

[Updated Post: comments prior to 10 July are responses to original article]

Resident View: Robin

COSTCUTTER LICENSING APPLICATION ALLOWED What Next?

At the Sub-Committee meeting, Costcutter were asked to “work with the local community” and told that no more than 25% of the shop should be for the sale of alcohol.

Who will monitor that, I wonder? And how will this “working with the community” actually happen? Will our Councillors get involved?

Everyone who wrote in or signed a petition will get a letter advising them of their right to appeal. The appeal must be filed within 21 days of the receipt of the letter with Thames Magistrates Court and the fee is £400. We would have to demonstrate that the decision is defective on one of four grounds:

  • The prevention of crime and disorder
  • Public Safety
  • The prevention of public nuisance
  • The protection of children from harm

If we lose, we may well have to pay costs. Costcutter can trade while the appeal is heard. Otherwise, we can:

  • Go as a Delegation to our Councillors’ Surgeries, so that they can no longer ignore us. There are Council petitions, Members Questions that can be raised on our behalf, and members of the public can also present questions to the Council. Surgeries are held at the Prusom Street Local Housing Office. And what about our newly elected MP?
  • Boycott Costcutter, and make sure that information is available about other suppliers and where they are located.
  • Talk to the Police and / or our Community Safety Officer, Neighbourhood Watch leader (who else?) about the potential increase in anti-social behaviour. Who has good contacts?
  • Approach the Local Press. Or are they too dependent on advertising from Costcutter?
  • Talk to Waitrose. On another page [...view page], there’s been some support for our local Waitrose to extend its hours. If they could operate longer hours, would that also damage local businesses or only compete with the “new boy on the block”? What do you think?

What action can we take to keep our area safe and residential, and to support our local businesses?

What are we able and willing to do?


Resident View: Steve


I attended the licensing committee last night regarding the Coscutter license.I was disgusted with what I witnessed.In my opinion they had made their mind up before the session and they certainly did not take into account the opinion of the local residents.They admitted they had received over 300 objections to this license but gave it anyway.Why do we vote for these people



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  • Dan

    On a related note, are there any plans for the building right next door which was being used for the office for the Overground station construction?

  • Robin M

    After sending several emails to Mr. Husain, without reply, I have written a real letter on paper and sent it off to Sunstar Group in Merton. I will share any information received but don’t hold your (collective) breath – the holding reply I received was dated 1 October and absolutely nothing since.

  • http://www.whatsinwapping.co.uk What’s in Wapping

    The site is still empty and we are trying to obtain an official update which we’ll publish as soon as it’s available.

    Apologies for the loss of earlier comments which are not being displayed properly, but can all be viewed here:
    http://awesomescreenshot.com/0165arief

  • Pru

    Robin,

    Thank you for the update, I am sure there are many still interested, I will pass this on to all I know whom are directly concerned.

  • Robin

    In case anyone is still interested, I have received an email from Mr. Husain. He apologised for the delay in replying and promised to update me once they have heard from the Landlord’s solicitors – on what topic, I do not know!

  • Robin

    Acting on Pru’s suggestion, last week I sent an email to Mr. Husain, mentioned by Brock (and sad person that I am, I still have my Sub-Committee papers) to ask politely for an update, mentioning that I had heard a rumour that the project might not go ahead. I also asked permission to post his response to this website because of residents’ interest in future developments. I have had no response to date, not even a holding reply. If I get a reply, I will either post it here if given permission or otherwise provide edited highlights.

  • Brock

    there were surveyors out on Monday morning, outside the tube station. At first I thought they might be doing something down the side of the station but perhaps more likely for the Costcutters.

  • Dan

    I hope that is the case and we actually get something decent and worthy of the space. In the meantime, it would be great if someone would clean up the existing space. Ten minutes with a broom would do wonders in there and there is rubbish all over the floor (mostly post). Who is responsible for maintaining it at the moment?

  • Robin

    Does anyone living in Falconet Court know what is going on currently? I have heard a rumour that Costcutter may not go ahead, despite having obtained its license.

  • Pru

    I think it would be worthwhile sending a brief polite email to the contact address on the sunstargroup website with Husain in copy notifying them that, indications are they will not be very busy and may wish to reconsider their investment in Wapping.

  • http://www.paulbrockphotography.co.uk Brock

    Also, Syed Husain, husain@sunstargroup.co.uk, gave written agreement to the licensing conditions so I’d imagine he has a fair bit of involvement.

  • http://www.paulbrockphotography.co.uk Brock

    From the license application (linked earlier in comments)

    The actual application is in the name of Sunstar Group Limited, who apparently have an exclusive licence to run Costcutter shops in London. http://www.sunstargroup.co.uk

    They also give the name and details of the premises supervisor as:
    Jadwiga Makiej,Flat 3,Ribblehurst,45 the avenue,Beckenham,BR3 5EF.

  • Phil

    My understanding is that CostCutter is a franchise operation, so somehwere behind this application is an individual who is investing his/her own money.

    I know is I was putting my own money inoto a franchise I’d certainly stop and think twice about how much I stand to lose financially if strong local oppostion or a boycott campaign adversely impacts my business.

    Perhaps we need to identify who the franchise holder is and make sure he is fully aware of how unwanted his proposed business is?

  • Pru

    Why costcutters? What on earth were they thinking?? It is not just the liquor license I object to, it’s everything! the location; so close to a busy mini roundabout is unsuitable. Wapping HIgh Street is a busy route for Taxis and buses anyway and all the delivery trucks are going to add to this. I will never ever spend any money in this shop, if it ever opens and I doubt if many local residents will either.

  • Robin

    @ C J Duffy – alas, the petition with over 300 signatures appeared to carry no weight with the Licensing Sub Committee which granted the license. Your comment, which is now asterisked, was quite apposite! There were also about 30 letters and emails from local people, additional to the petition.

    @ All interested parties – for information

    The following paragraphs are taken from a letter forwarded to me by Councillor Haque in response to the queries I raised with him about ensuring Costcutter worked with the local community and that no more than 25% of the floor area was given over to the sale of alcohol. I received this yesterday (Saturday). The letter is written by Nick Kemp, who was the Licensing Officer involved with the application.

    “The Licensing Authority would be happy to mediate between the residents and premises license holder of Costcutter. If there are concerns the residents wish to raise I would be happy to receive them and would carry out the mediation. If this mediation needed to be taken further, a residents meeting could be set up.”

    The letter goes on to say that Members had noted that the applicant “had indicated . . . that he was prepared to informally agree with local residents and be minded to close at 22.00 hours”. Although the condition is not enforceable, “If the agreement is not being adhered to and as a result noise and nuisance and / or crime and disorder issues are being created . . . my team will be happy to discuss the review process with you can invoke, where there is the possibility of the Licensing Committee changing the license.”

    The Licensing Authority will visit the premises (doesn’t say how often) to ensure that “the condition of no more than 25% of the premises display area should be used to display the retail sale of alcohol” is complied with.

    I had hoped that our Councillors might take the lead in talking to Costcutter, together with the local people who were involved in negotiating the 10 pm curfew on off-license sales. It appears this is not to be. Is there any enthusiasm for taking Mr. Kemp up on his offer to mediate with the licensee? I don’t see myself as a community representative and wasn’t involved in agreeing the curfew. I’m just a local resident, trying to share any information I get.

    Also for information, although Cllr Haque is on the “long list” of Licensing Committee members, he was not on the panel which heard this application.

  • http://fishywords.blogspot.com/ C.J. Duffy

    I would have thought that having a Costcutter in Wapping High Street is as welcome as having ****. The area has gone through a miraculous regeneration and one all should be proud of. By having a Costcutter will only, surely, have an adverse effect.
    I appreciate that I, as a non-resident have no say whatsoever in any changes that take place in Wapping but the almost ‘village feel’ will undoubtedly suffer when hordes of people start crowding into a shop that sells alcohol and other produce so cheaply. Would it not be better to have a Costcutter on the Highway and therefore away from the quiet residential areas?

    If a petition is raised you will have my signature on it.

    CJ Duffy

  • Robin

    You get 21 days from the date of receipt of the letter (not the date it was sent – I checked with LBTH twice – to lodge an appeal. I received mine on 16 July, but I don’t have £400 to spend on making an appeal. Of the possible actions I suggested in my debrief, the only one that seems to have any appeal is boycotting the store. I had been hoping one or more of our Councillors might step in, appreciating the strength of local feeling and the concern about anti-social behaviour, to take some lead in getting Costcutter to observe the local curfew on off-license sales. As far as I can see, this is not happening.

    Even if a person or group had funds and lodged an appeal, Costcutter could continue to trade while the appeal is heard.

    Maybe if, once the shop is open, we all log incidents of anti-social behaviour and ring the police every time, our concerns may get through . . . but I am not holding my breath.

  • Brock

    My understanding is that residents are *allowed* to appeal, but have not heard anything about anyone actually appealing, as it would be both costly and time-consuming.

  • Nad

    So is costcutter actually going ahead (saw it in the paper last week) or is there still another appeal process? Really not sure they’ll survive with so much anti feeling and other options but guess we’ll see …shame it got through!

  • Paulie-K

    Based on the nature of the ‘educational institute’ and that there’s no evidence of affiliation to an established academic institution (you would assume they’d make mention), it leads to the assumption that it will be a private college along the lines of the ‘Oxbridge College’ etc that you find above the shops on the East end of Oxford Street or in Whitechapel.

  • Brock

    On a related note anyone know what’s going on at the bottom of Eluna Apartments, 4 Wapping Lane (at the Highway end)? I saw a ‘shop fitters’ company there today, did some digging and there’s applications in for a health centre, and a separate one for educational use….

    http://194.201.98.213/WAM/showCaseFile.do;jsessionid=7214C4EC1636E5918995BA20B044C597?action=show&appType=Planning&appNumber=PA/10/468
    http://194.201.98.213/WAM/showCaseFile.do;jsessionid=7214C4EC1636E5918995BA20B044C597?action=show&appType=Planning&appNumber=PA/10/1052

  • James

    Thanks for the link …any ideas what’s happened to the appeal or if they’re definitely opening and when?

  • http://www.paulbrockphotography.co.uk Brock
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