Key Points
- The Merseyside Police have raised an objection to the proposal of an off-licence being set up on Grange Road West in Birkenhead.
- The objection arises from the proposal of sale of alcohol in an area which has been classified as one with a Special Cumulative Impact Policy.
- The policy covers Charing Cross, Grange Road West, Grange Mount, Oxton Road, and some of the town centre of Birkenhead.
- This special cumulative impact policy has been put into place since 10 July 2017 as the licensing authority had determined that off-licenses were responsible for creating a nuisance, committing criminal acts and disorder in the community.
- Two off-licences in the same street have applied for their permission to sell alcohol.
- Police have also stated that the new off-licences will be working against the licensing objectives such as prevention of crime and disorder and public nuisance.
- This development comes after previous licensing disputes at shops in Grange Road West such as the application by the Premier Shop and Birko.
Birkenhead Police (Liverpool standard) October 29, 2026 — Merseyside Police has objected to plans for a new off-licence on Grange Road West in Birkenhead, in an area where Wirral Council already restricts the number of premises permitted to sell alcohol for consumption off the premises. As reported by Wirral Today, two shops on the same street want to sell alcohol, despite the council’s existing limits on new off-licences in the area.
The report does not identify the applicant, the exact premises, or the proposed licensing hours. It states that police have raised an objection to the application and that the proposal concerns a street already subject to alcohol-related licensing controls.
Why has police objected?
Merseyside Police’s objection is based on concerns that another off-licence could add to the cumulative impact of alcohol sales in the area. In earlier licensing proceedings, the force said that granting a comparable application would undermine the licensing objectives of the prevention of crime and disorder and the prevention of public nuisance.
Police also stated that a new off-licence would add to the cumulative impact of licensed premises selling alcohol for off-premises consumption within the Cumulative Impact Assessment area.
What restrictions already apply?
Grange Road West falls within a Special Cumulative Impact Policy area that also includes Charing Cross, Grange Mount, Oxton Road and the boundary of Birkenhead town centre. Wirral Council’s licensing authority introduced the policy with effect from 10 July 2017, applying it to premises licensed to sell alcohol by retail for consumption off the premises only.
The council introduced the policy after a consultation process. It concluded that the number of off-licences in those locations was cumulatively giving rise to significant problems of public nuisance and crime and disorder.
What does the policy mean for applicants?
A cumulative impact policy does not automatically ban every new alcohol licence. Instead, it creates a stronger presumption against granting new off-licence permissions unless an applicant can demonstrate that the application would not add to existing problems in the area.
As reported by Birkenhead News, the policy was brought in after Merseyside Police evidence said that the number of premises selling alcohol only for consumption off the premises was having a cumulative impact and leading to problems undermining licensing objectives, particularly crime and disorder and public nuisance.
Have there been similar cases?
Yes. Grange Road West has been the focus of several recent licensing applications and objections. Birkenhead News reported that Mr Balasivamoorthy Krishnamoorthy applied for a premises licence for the Premier Shop at 82-84 Grange Road West, with police, residents, a community group and councillors raising concerns about anti-social behaviour and crime.
In a separate case, Birkenhead News reported that Amanji Bakhtyarpanah, on behalf of Birko at 9 Grange Road West, applied for a 24-hour licence. That application was due before Wirral councillors at a licensing committee meeting on 24 November, with the council’s cumulative impact policy forming part of the decision-making context.
Birkenhead News also reported that, during a review of the cumulative impact area in 2024, Constable Chris Clinch represented Merseyside Police and asked councillors to retain the policy, which has been in place since 2017.
What have police said previously?
Merseyside Police has repeatedly linked the concentration of off-licences to street drinking and related crime. As reported by Birkenhead News, the force asked for restrictions to remain in place, saying it was seeing an increase in anti-social behaviour, including incidents relating to the theft of alcohol from shops.
The force argued that the number of licensed premises in Birkenhead supported a high level of street drinking and that street drinking remained a major policing issue. These earlier statements provide the context for the force’s current objection to the proposed Grange Road West off-licence.
What happens next?
The application will now need to be considered through Wirral Council’s licensing process. Councillors sitting on the relevant licensing committee will assess the police representation, any other objections, the applicant’s case and the council’s licensing policy before reaching a decision.
The outcome is not yet known. Wirral Today’s report confirms the police objection and the wider licensing restrictions affecting the street, but does not state when the application will be heard or whether further representations have been submitted.
Background of the development
The policy affecting Grange Road West was introduced after Wirral Council’s licensing authority examined consultation responses and evidence concerning alcohol-related harm in Birkenhead town centre. It found that the concentration of off-licences was contributing to significant public nuisance, crime and disorder, leading to the Special Cumulative Impact Policy from 10 July 2017.
The policy remains relevant because it specifically applies to shops selling alcohol for consumption away from the premises. Earlier reporting by the Liverpool Echo described the area as subject to the special policy since 2017, meaning new outlets could be prevented from selling alcohol where doing so risked worsening anti-social behaviour and crime.
Prediction: How could this affect local residents and traders?
For residents, the police objection may increase confidence that alcohol-related concerns will be formally considered before any new licence is granted. If councillors follow the cumulative impact policy, the application could face refusal or conditions designed to limit potential harm, although no decision has yet been made.
For local traders, the case highlights the difficulty of opening or expanding an alcohol-selling business on Grange Road West. Existing shops may face continued competition concerns only if a new licence is approved, while applicants will need to address police and council concerns about crime, public nuisance and street drinking.
