by Trevor Bevins, Local Democracy Reporter.
A seasonal Weymouth beach kiosk has been granted permission to sell alcohol after councillors agreed the operator’s safeguards were enough to address concerns about antisocial behaviour and litter.
Dorset Council’s Licensing Sub‑Committee approved the application from Wintertime Events Ltd for the SC4 kiosk opposite Marks & Spencer on The Esplanade.
Under the licence, the kiosk can sell alcohol on and off the premises between March and September with differing hours across the week, including extended seasonal hours from 1 July to 2 September, when sales are permitted from 9am to 10.30pm daily. Alcohol sales are allowed both for consumption on the premises and to take away.
Among the conditions of the licence is that alcohol cannot be sold when there is no Designated Premises Supervisor and that every sale must be made or authorised by a Personal Licence Holder. The licence also requires an age‑verification policy.
The operator’s own measures will also form part of the licence: continuous CCTV recording with footage retained for 28 days; regular system checks; staff training.
No objections to the licence were made by the police or environmental.
A ward councillor initially raised concerns but withdrew after receiving further information from the applicant, while a member of the public maintained an objection citing worries about antisocial behaviour, noise, and the use of glass on the beach.
At the hearing applicant Sara Hall said she had 20 years’ experience running similar businesses and pledged CCTV, staff training and Challenge 25 would all be in place, along with regular litter removal. She also said three staff already hold Personal Licences and agreed to the extra requirement for a Personal Licence Holder to be on the premises whenever alcohol is sold.
