Liverpool City Council Approves 24-hour Spar on Whitechapel 2026

Key Points

• Liverpool City Council’s licensing and gambling sub-committee has approved a premises licence for a new 24-hour Spar store on Whitechapel.
• The store will occupy a vacant former Holland & Barrett retail unit and is due to open in the autumn under a secured 15-year lease.
• Saleh Al Hathrie, director of neighbouring 24-hour business Shop & Go, opposed the application over concerns about staff safety, racial abuse and physical violence.
• Mr Al Hathrie submitted CCTV footage to licensing bosses showing a worker being punched and grabbed behind a retail counter.
• Merseyside Police did not object to the application after agreeing strict overnight conditions covering alcohol displays and supervision.
• Alcohol sales are expected to account for about 15% of the store’s trade, with door supervisors in place during peak periods.

Liverpool Council (Liverpool standard) August 25, 2026 – A 24-hour Spar in uk/local/liverpool-city-centre/">Liverpool city centre has been granted permission to open and sell alcohol around the clock despite objections from an opposing trader who presented photographic evidence of violent attacks on retail staff. The application from Spar Central will see the retail chain convert the former Holland & Barrett branch on Whitechapel into a 24-hour convenience store this autumn.

Why did Liverpool City Council approve the Whitechapel Spar licence?

The licensing and gambling sub-committee of Liverpool City Council approved the application after determining that the statutory licensing objectives were satisfied under the agreed operational conditions.

As reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service and BBC News, applicant Farhaan Raja secured the licence for the Whitechapel site after confirming that Merseyside Police raised no formal objections to the 24-hour operation. Ian Rushton, the licensing agent acting on behalf of Farhaan Raja, informed committee members that the company had maintained “extremely positive dialogue” with police licensing officers to establish robust security safeguards.

Under the agreed licensing terms, the store’s beer section and all accompanying alcohol displays will be closed to direct public access between 22:00 and 05:00 BST every day, operating strictly under staff supervision during overnight hours. Ian Rushton also confirmed that a 15-year lease has been signed for the premises, where alcohol sales are forecast to account for roughly 15% of total turnover, alongside standard convenience groceries.

What evidence of retail violence was submitted to the licensing committee?

Saleh Al Hathrie, the director of Shop & Go located directly opposite the proposed Spar unit, submitted CCTV footage and still images showing his staff members being assaulted on duty.

As reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Saleh Al Hathrie stated to the committee that his objection was not motivated by business competition, explaining: “My staff have been violently assaulted and racially abused”. Mr Al Hathrie highlighted that his convenience shop already trades 24 hours a day on Whitechapel, leaving workers “exposed to aggression or anti-social behaviour” and persistent confrontations with street drinkers.

The evidence presented by Mr Al Hathrie included CCTV stills from June showing an incident where a customer attempted to grab an employee’s face and threw a punch over the retail counter. Saleh Al Hathrie told the panel that the recorded footage “shows the seriousness of risks for people working in this area” and warned that adding another round-the-clock alcohol outlet would exacerbate disorder.

How did the applicant address anti-social behaviour and street drinking concerns?

Ian Rushton acknowledged the broader challenges facing late-night retail in urban centres but argued that city-centre issues did not warrant refusing a properly managed application.

As reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Ian Rushton stated: “Nobody can hide from the fact there will be issues in the city centre”, adding that such challenges alone were not sufficient grounds for the local authority to reject the proposal. Applicant Farhaan Raja told committee members that Whitechapel was chosen because it represents the “busiest area” of Liverpool city centre.

To mitigate security risks, the applicant confirmed several safeguarding measures:

• Deployment of dedicated door supervisors during identified peak trading periods.
• Implementation of Farhaan Raja’s personal expertise as a former Security Industry Authority (SIA) registered professional.
• Mandatory overnight restrictions preventing unmonitored access to alcohol aisles between 22:00 and 05:00.
• Ongoing liaison with Merseyside Police’s city centre neighbourhood policing team.

Background to the Whitechapel retail development

Whitechapel is a major thoroughfare connecting Liverpool ONE with the city’s commercial and retail districts, carrying high daytime footfall and substantial late-night pedestrian traffic. The specific unit at the centre of the application was left vacant following the relocation and consolidation of health food retailer Holland & Barrett.

Over recent years, convenience operators in central Liverpool have increasingly sought 24-hour licences to meet consumer demand within the evening economy. However, late-night retail clusters have faced scrutiny from existing independent operators and local ward representatives over cumulative impact, anti-social behaviour, and violence against retail staff working unassisted overnight shifts.

Predicted impact on local retailers and city centre workers

The approval of a 24-hour Spar on Whitechapel is expected to alter the commercial and operational environment for local traders, retail staff, and night-time patrons in central Liverpool.

For local shop workers on Whitechapel, the introduction of security-trained door staff and restricted alcohol access at Spar establishes a precedent for private security standards in the immediate vicinity. However, neighbouring convenience traders who operate 24 hours without private security may experience heightened displacement of aggressive individuals if patrons are turned away from Spar during late hours.

For city centre consumers and night-shift workers, the store expands 24-hour access to grocery essentials in a primary transit corridor. For municipal regulators and Merseyside Police, the site will serve as a test case for whether restricted-access alcohol displays between 22:00 and 05:00 successfully curb late-night street drinking without increasing police callouts to Whitechapel.