A Parow liquor store’s bid to open on Sunday and extend its trading hours during the week has been shot down by a ward councillor.
Smuggies, a bottle store at 1 Gardner Street, is open from 11am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday.
Its application to trade until 8pm on those days as well as on Sunday from 11am to 6pm was tabled at Sub-council 4’s meeting late last month, but Ward 26 councillor Franchesca Walker opposed it, citing two public objections.
One of the objections came from Melissa Cullen, of Steer & Company, which manages Marshlou Court, a block of flats on the corner of Gardiner and Tallent roads, in Parow.
“The residential property that we manage has many elderly people, families and young children.
“We object to the extension of operating hours based on the problems already experienced in the area with unsavoury people hanging around,” she said.
The second objection came from Sharon Chaney, also of Steer & Company.
“This application needs to be opposed. The tenants already complained about the unsavoury elements hanging around the off-sales and the robberies taking place outside,” she said.
Parow police spokesman, Captain Kevin Williams, said the area around the liquor store was patrolled regularly.
“Homelessness is also a huge problem in and around the liquor store leading to various issues,” he said.
The Northern News visited Smuggies last week and called the liquor store numerous times but was not able to source comment from the owner by the time this edition went to print .
Sub-council 4 approved the proposed closure and disposal of a portion of a City-owned plot, erf 3858, in Goodwood to the owner of an adjacent plot, erf 3851.
According to documents before sub-council, there are 140m2 of City land next to Vasco Boulevard that were left vacant for possible future road widening.
Adjacent property owners have first option on the land according to Pieter Strumpher, acting regional head of the City’s property management department.
“Those portions of land will go out to public tender soon,” he said.
Councillor Walker supported the recommendation. “Last year 40 properties were up for sale in Goodwood,” she said.
Ms Walker said the sale of those portions of land would alleviate the anti-social behaviour exhibited by the homeless along Vasco Boulevard.
“It’s an eyesore and it looks like a braai area,” she said.
The next Sub-council 4 meeting will take place on Thursday February 22.