Papanui: Concerns planned Bottle-O store will create 'liquor village'

A Bottle-O liquor store is planned for Papanui. Photo / File

Residents fear Papanui will become a "liquor village" if an application for a new liquor store is granted.

Momentum is building to stop a new Bottle-O outlet on Main North Rd from opening, which if granted would mean three liquor stores would be located within 200m of each other.

New complaints from Papanui residents, including Robert Bush, have been made to Christchurch City Council over the matter.

"All local residents are really angry. I haven't heard one person say they don't mind it," he said.

"I strongly object to the new liquor store in Papanui because there are already too many liquor stores, supermarkets and bars that sell alcohol.

"Papanui High School is also just 600m away from the proposed site.

"This is totally horrible if the council grants new licensing.

"Now this is a liquor village, with drunk people shouting at the roads and urinating on the streets."

Last week, Nor'West News revealed an application by BD Bottle Ltd was made to open Bottle-O Papanui at 30 Main North Rd, with proposed opening hours from Monday to Sunday between 10am and 10pm.

Other liquor stores in close proximity included Super Liquor Papanui, which was 50m away, and Thirsty Liquor Papanui, which was 180m away.

Opposite the proposed store was also a bus stop, which was also extensively used by school children, including teenagers from Papanui High.

Bush only heard about the proposal when his friend supplied him with more information about the application and through the public notice on the city council's website.

Papanui resident Mel Price also objects to the application and has been raising awareness of the issue to residents and businesses due to notifications only being found on the city council's website.

"My main aim is to make sure the residents of Papanui are aware of the license application as often these can slip through because no one knows about it to object," she said.

"I am not opposed to the sale of alcohol, but I don't think Papanui's main street needs three liquor stores.

"Studies have shown that an increase in outlets clustered together means there is potential for harm."

Papanui-Innes Community Board member Simon Britten said he has heard both positive and negative comments over the matter, but still questions whether a new store on the same stretch of road as the others was warranted.

Concerns about the societal impacts of alcohol such as violence from intoxication, and longer-term health impacts such as foetal alcohol syndrome, needed to be considered, he said.

"It does seem like a lot for a small area," he said.

He supported a need for public notifications to be more widespread beyond the city council's website but understood the difficulty in doing so.

"It's always difficult to reach everybody.

"In general, I'm always supportive of the council to do more to direct the community. I have noticed a few signs up in the community though, like on store fronts."

The community board is unable to submit objections but is able to speak on behalf of residents at a later public hearing by the District Licensing Committee, which was not regarded as a public submission.

The public has until Monday to object to the application.