A new supermarket preparing to open on Heath Road in Twickenham has applied for a premises licence to sell alcohol, as plans for the store take shape ahead of a hoped-for Easter opening.

Harvest Haven, which is located at 17 Heath Road on the site of the former Lloyds Bank, appeared before Richmond Council's Licensing Sub-Committee yesterday (Thursday, 3 April) as part of the licensing process.

The store, described as a retail premises selling a wide range of goods and services, originally applied for permission to sell alcohol off the premises from 8am to 2am, seven days a week – with the store operating 24 hours a day.

However, following detailed discussions with the Metropolitan Police, the proposed alcohol sales hours have now been revised to 8am to 11pm daily.

The police have also proposed a series of stringent conditions covering crime prevention, public safety, and the protection of children.

These include staff training on age-restricted sales, CCTV coverage inside and outside the store, an incident logbook, and the implementation of a "Challenge 25" ID policy.

Alcohol will be displayed away from the entrance, covered when not on sale, and limited to just 20% of the shop floor.

High-strength alcohol, single cans, and bottles will also be restricted.

A representative for the applicant, Robert Sutherland, told the committee: "It's a substantial investment – they've spent £500,000 on the property and the fit-out, which is being completed to a high standard. This isn't just an off-licence; it's a supermarket providing fresh produce and a valuable service to the local community.

"The sale of alcohol will not be the main focus."

Concerns were raised in advance by local residents over the initial late-night alcohol licensing request.

One resident warned that the original proposal risked leading to public nuisance, anti-social behaviour, and a strain on local health and police services.

Another resident commented: "There are already enough shops, pubs and restaurants in the area. We don't need another premises selling alcohol 18 hours a day, especially in a residential neighbourhood."

Metropolitan Police Licensing Officer PC Joel Clewett confirmed to the committee that after extensive discussions and agreement on proposed conditions, the police had withdrawn their objection.

"We believe that a lot of the concerns are mitigated," said PC Clewett. "Should the committee grant the licence, we expect the premises to continue mitigating any rise in crime or anti-social behaviour connected to the store."

Committee Chair Cllr Rob O'Carroll led the meeting, with councillors Ben Khosa and Jonathan Cardy raising queries around the CCTV coverage outside the premises and the specific layout of the alcohol sales area.

Mr Sutherland requested one final amendment, asking that deliveries of fresh fruit and vegetables be allowed outside of standard delivery hours if necessary, to ensure product freshness.

A final decision on the licensing application will be made in due course.

To see the full licensing sub-committee meeting from Thursday, 3 April click here.