An Aberdeen shopkeeper’s heroism has been thrown back in his face as neighbours tried to stop his plans to sell alcohol in a new corner shop.
Mile End residents urged licensing chiefs to block plans for booze sales in Joney Joey Thanabalasingham’s premises on Westburn Road.
The shopkeeper and taxi driver is planning to convert the former Granite Accountants offices into a Premier convenience shop.
Mr Thanabalasingham has run Aberdeen’s Froghall Stores for almost a decade.
And he hit the headlines in 2014 as he defended his Froghall Terrace business from a would-be robber who was waving around a “foot-long” kitchen knife.
The shopkeeper chased away the hooded, blade-wielding figure with a golf club that was lying “in the back”.
‘Would Westburn shopkeeper produce a golf club again to deal with trouble?’
Pressing the Aberdeen licensing board to block Mr Thanabalasingham’s drive for off-licence sales in his new Westburn Stores premises, neighbours said his use of the wonky nine iron was a sub-par approach to security.
Estelle Canham, a “very upset” former Spar worker who lives above the new Premier shop, said: “In the future, would [Mr Thanabalasingham] deal with [possible disorder] in the same way as he did in the past, producing a golf club?
“As far as I am aware if there is trouble, you try to stop it, you press the alarm for assistance.
“So that is a concern; with regard to preventing crime, how would he deal if this was to happen again in the new store?”
Westburn Stores: ‘You can’t even see’ other shops selling alcohol
Mr Thanabalasingham’s solicitor Tony Dawson made the case for the new shop, which he argued was far enough from other convenience stores that cries of overprovision should be ignored.
“To have overprovision cited as grounds for objection is somewhat ironic,” the legal veteran said.
“One of the main reasons my client chose 199 Westburn Road was quite simply that there were no relevant convenience stores in the vicinity.”
Dismissing claims the Midstocket Road Spar or Rosemount Place Co-op were “five or six minutes” walk away, he added: “You can’t even see them.”
The James and George Collie lawyer flapped around a photo of the same premises showing its use as John McWilliam’s Grocer, Wine and Spirit Merchant in the 1920s.
He reported that Mr Thanabalasingham was “very disappointed but hardly surprised” at the six objections lodged against his licensing application.
A local letter campaign had raised concerns around nearby residents, worried about traffic and parking, the opening hours and antisocial behaviour.
‘Just because you can’t see off-licences doesn’t mean they aren’t there’
This resulted in six objections being raised with Aberdeen Licensing Board.
However, Mr Dawson told members: “As you will see, five out of six are in exactly the same terms, which in my experience means the objections are orchestrated by one specific source.
“Some, your honours, might say that devalues the merits of the objections.”
David Hardy, who lives round the corner from the shop, rejected “working in cahoots with the neighbours or whatever was implied”.
He welcomed Mr Thanabalasingham opening the convenience store to sell newspapers and fresh fruit and veg. But he urged him to ditch plans to sell booze.
“We don’t need another store selling alcohol,” he added, citing Scotland’s high drink-related death rate.
Concerns for children at Westburn Road kindergarten
Another resident, Judith Ballantyne, blasted that suggestion too.
“[They] are not visible but they are a five or six minute walk for anyone of a decent, healthy, walking capability.”
Mr Dawson, 72, theatrically laughed to the gallery, as if stung by the remark.
He had already told the board he was working from home due to mobility issues, and made several jokes at the expense of his own advanced years.
Claims Westburn Stores boss wants to use taxi for waste management
Mr Dawson laughed again as the “plentiful parking” he described nearby was rubbished too.
Spaces are reserved for residential permit holders or voucher parking only, due to the street’s proximity to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
Out front, there are double yellows surrounding the shop. There is already problem parking.
“[Mr Thanabalasingham] has been recorded in his taxi parking on double yellow lines with hazard lights on, on numerous occasions for hours at a time,” Ms Ballantyne claimed.
“A shop will only make [problem parking] worse.”
“We were told there would not be any bins either and that rubbish would be taken away by the supplier.
“When we challenged that, the new tenant stated he would be taking the rubbish away in his taxi. This is obviously an environmental health issue.”
Westburn Road off-licence shop could knock ‘10%’ off nearby property prices
Ms Ballantyne also claimed her mortgage advisor had forecast a 5% hit on her property valuation if the shop conversion went ahead.
She added: “If an alcohol licence is approved that could be a further depreciation of 5% in the value,” as Mr Dawson shook his head exasperatedly.
“You have to deal with evidence here and not conjecture,” he said.
“There is no evidence that the licensing of these premises will cause any problems.”
Licensing chiefs are unable to consider the knock-on effect on property prices as part of their deliberations.
And much of the other concerns raised were “not relevant” either.
The change of use for the property from office to shop has already been rubber-stamped by planners.
Council bosses are now considering a building warrant, which would allow Mr Thanabalasingham to begin work on the conversion.
The licensing board unanimously approved the provisional off-sales licence.
Conversation