A CITY centre coffee shop has been given permission to sell alcohol until late at night despite concerns being raised it would disturb neighbours.

Coffee shop and cafe Black and White in Foregate Street in Worcester has been granted a licence to sell alcohol from 8am until 11pm despite city councillor Lynn Denham has said the plan should not be allowed to go ahead.

Cllr Denham, who represents the city’s Cathedral ward on Worcester City Council, said allowing late-night drinking at the coffee shop would most likely increase the risk of disorder and nuisance to nearby residents.

She also said a coffee shop opening until the early evening was an entirely different proposition to a late-night venue selling alcohol.

"It's a pity that when [owner] Mr Tahir spoke with police about the application that he did not also speak to ward councillors and local residents," she told councillors during the meeting of the city council's licensing subcommittee on Tuesday (July 21).

"The Hopmarket is very much a community and being part of that community is a very wonderful thing and to upset part of it is a mistake."

However, fellow ward councillor and Labour colleague Jabba Riaz said he supported owner Rebaz Tahir's plan to open late as a restaurant.

Assurances had been given by the coffee shop that the courtyard would not be used as a smoking area.

Mr Tahir told councillors he had just signed a new lease with the landlord and tables would not be allowed to be put outside and customers would not be able to use it as a smoking area.

West Mercia Police had not raised any objections to the plan.

The coffee shop in Foregate Street is in the city centre’s cumulative impact zone (CIZ) - which looks to protect areas which have a high density of licensed bars, restaurants, clubs and takeaways from crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour - and would also be part of the council’s city centre public space protection order (PSPO) which means fines could be handed out for anyone found drinking in the street.

If bars or restaurants want a late-night alcohol licence, the onus is on the owner to prove selling alcohol would not go against preventing crime and disorder, ensuring public safety, ensuring the prevention of public nuisance and ensuring children are protected from harm.