A supermarket giant will be able to sell alcohol for 15 hours a day and seven days a week at its new store after councillors granted it an alcohol licence.

The new Tesco store in Lewes Road in Brighton has been granted permission to sell alcohol between 8am and 11pm seven days a week at a Brighton and Hove City Council licensing panel today.

The store is just yards away from a community garden previously targeted by the supermarket in 2010 which they were forced to withdraw from after overwhelming local opposition to the plans.

Rival Morrisons eventually moved into the other site but with strict restrictions on alcohol sales preventing them from displaying booze at the front of the shop and from offering cut-price drink deals.

Resident groups and ward councillors had raised concerns about the number of alcohol retailers in such a confined area with 12 already operating in less than half a mile.

The Tesco store is due to open later this year at the site of a former discount furniture shop.

At the same hearing, Subway had their application to serve hot food between 11pm and 5am at the store in Old Steine was declined by the same panel.

Brighton and Hove Police Licensing Unit, Brighton and Hove City Council licensing and environmental health teams as well as residents had all opposed the sandwich makers’ application.