AN APPLICATION by a Blaenau Gwent convenience store to be allowed to sell alcohol has been met with vocal opposition, with a petition opposing the plan signed by almost 400 people.

One Stop has applied for a premises licence for its shop at Marine Street in Cwm, which would allow it to sell alcohol between 6am and 11pm seven days a week. The shop is not currently licensed to sell alcohol.

But the plans have been met with a flood of objections, with a petition calling for the application to be thrown out signed by 394 people.

One letter, written by Sharbaz Arshad of the nearby Cwm Convenience Store said: "There is not enough trade that passes this area to sustain three shops. I would also like to suggest it could cause a lot more anti-social behaviour to the village."

Another, written by Kandasamy Chandrarajan, also of Marine Street, said allowing the shop to sell alcohol would be "totally detrimental" to Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council's objectives around preventing crime and disorder.

"Granting a licence would provide a further source of alcohol within an area already heavily populated with licensed premises that crime, disorder and public nuisance have already reached problem levels for the local police," he said.

"Residents in this area already suffer noise nuisance and anti-social behaviour at all hours of the day and night."

Another letter signed by staff of the nearby JCR Supermarket, said the proposal would "worsen the current alcoholic-related problems in Cwm".

"There have been incidents of crime and disorder which would put the public at an even greater risk," it said.

But another letter included with documents to be presented to the authority's Statutory Licensing Sub-Committee next week, which is not signed, claims the shop would "do wonders for the people of Cwm".

The anonymous letter also claimed a campaign against the proposal was being orchestrated by other shops in the area over fears around competition.

A council report notes some of the signatures on the petition are duplicated.

One Stop did not respond to request for comment.