A city petrol station has been granted an alcohol licence despite a councillor raising fears over the impact for women.
An alcohol licence for Morrisons petrol station on Albion Way, next to the Carrow Road football stadium, drew concerns from one councillor.
Thorpe Hamlet ward Green Party councillor, Lesley Grahame, said if the licence was approved it could be unsafe for lone women.
She said: “My concern is about the areas roundabout, which go beyond the CCTV, beyond the good management and beyond the scope of the good management of that site.”
She argued the petrol station was in a deserted area at night, with nowhere to run if someone was being harassed.
Richard Taylor, a solicitor from Gosschalks, speaking on behalf of the applicant, told Norwich City Council's licence committee the application was needed after the pandemic.
He said: “The reason for the application is that since coronavirus hit and impacted all of our lives the company has seen a significant increase in grocery shopping in petrol filling stations. People just wanting to shop in smaller shops.
"All the company wants to do is sell a bottle of wine or a pack of beers with ready meals, groceries that are already available to purchase at a petrol station.”
Mr Taylor said the application was one of around 70 going in across the country. This follows around 47,000 customers using its petrol stations not to top up on fuel but as a convenience store.
He said he had spoken to Ms Grahame, who was willing to withdraw her objections if they limited the alcohol sales to the main store hours.
However, they were unwilling to do this because they wanted to be a convenient location for shopping and it would stop them from selling alcohol after 4pm on a Sunday.
Ms Grahame suggested a condition limiting alcohol sales to 10pm, which she positioned as a compromise but this was dismissed by Mr Taylor.
Ian Stutely, the chairman of the committee, noted that there were issues in the area but said it was not for the applicant to address them.
The licence was unanimously approved by the committee on Wednesday.
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