PLANS to open a new Tesco Express in Eastbourne town centre have been given the go ahead by councillors.

Earlier this month, an Eastbourne Borough Council licensing panel considered an application connected with plans to open a new Tesco store at 83 to 85 Terminus Road — a unit previously occupied by the clothing store Monsoon. 

Initially, the supermarket chain had been seeking a licence which would allow it to sell alcohol from 6am until midnight, seven days a week.

These hours had seen objections raised by Sussex Police, which argued the store should close at 10pm as its location made it an inappropriate location for late-night alcohol sales. Similar concerns around late-night drinking and anti-social behaviour in Terminus Road were also raised by two public objectors. 

During the hearing, however, councillors heard there had been further discussions between Tesco and the police, resulting in the business seeking an earlier closing time of 11pm. The store had also agreed to employ SIA-registered security staff on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. 

These negotiated conditions were accepted by the committee, which confirmed the grant of the licence in a decision notice published on Monday, November 7. 

It read: “The members welcomed that the applicant and the Police had been able to agree the contested conditions before the hearing.

“The sub committee also noted the concerns of the other representators but considered that the agreed conditions and the information provided by the applicant at the hearing should address those concerns.”

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