A former model train shop is set to be given a new lease of life as part of a six-figure investment.

The former premises of The Signal Box in Rochester High Street are to become a Costcutter-backed convenience store following a successful conversion bid.

An application to sell alcohol at the shop was approved by Medway Council today (October 15).

The application was made by TD Cluster Ltd, with Prasath Ratnam being the designated premises supervisor, to licence a convenience store which will sell general day-to-day foodstuffs, alcohol, vapes and cigarettes.

It applied for the ability to sell alcohol from 8am to 11pm, Monday to Sunday, and from 8am to midnight on bank holidays, Christmas Eve and New Years Eve.

Ian Rushton, a licensing consultant who spoke on behalf of the applicant, said Mr Ratnam has more than 14 years of experience operating retail stores in Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent, and London and was committed to running a good business and upholding licensing objectives.

He said Mr Ratnam had invested nearly £175,000 into the business premises and signed a lease for 15 years in the property - so was intent on making the business a long-lasting success.

Mr Rushton told the licensing panel: “This is not going to be a shop which just wants to sell a lot of alcohol cheaply, it’s truly a convenience store.

“Prasath is fully committed to the business and to the local area, and as an experienced retailer he knows the importance of having good staff in place.

“He obviously wants to prevent things like shoplifting and loitering and promote the licensing objectives - to do otherwise is not good for the business and not good for the community.”

He also said, through discussions with the police, Trading Standards, and licensing, Mr Ratnam had put in place effective measures to prevent crime and disorder, sale of alcohol to under-age people, and littering.

These included a comprehensive CCTV system, totalling 16 cameras inside and outside of the shop, not selling single cans of alcohol, and regular staff training to uphold the ‘Challenge 25’ policy.

Additionally, Mr Ratnam has committed to performing regular litterpicks around the shop and providing bins, as well as posting signage asking people to dispose of their rubbish properly.

The application said the shop would limit the strength of alcoholic beverages to be sold at 6.5% ABV, but, if the panel preferred, Mr Ratnam was willing to sell nothing stronger than 5.5% ABV.

Mr Rushton said only up to 15% of the floorspace of the shop would be for alcohol and so it was not the primary purpose of the shop.

The application received no objections from Kent Police or Medway’s Trading Standards, who asked for additional conditions around ensuring staff were trained to deal with underage people trying to buy alcohol which were agreed by the applicant.

However, it received objections from Pathways to Independence, a social interest group which offers services to homeless people and ex-offenders, particularly around alcohol abuse.

There were also objections from the Intra Community Trust, the City of Rochester Society, and Bryan Fowler, a member of the public.

Chris Webb, on behalf of the City of Rochester Society, and Mr Fowler both attended the licensing hearing panel and put forward their questions and concerns about the application, and made some suggestions of amendments.

They raised concerns about littering, anti-social behaviour, and noise as the site is located within a stress area, which has concerning rates of criminal offences, anti-social behaviour, domestic abuse, begging, deprivation, and alcohol-related littering.

Mr Fowler suggested the hours in which alcohol be allowed to be sold be limited to up until 10pm, rather than 11pm - a measure which is in place at other shops nearby.

Mr Webb: “We have formed a view, in the interest of the area, that the hours proposed are excessive.

“It’s a residential conservation area and it already suffers from a number of alcohol-related issues.

“We think the hours of sale should be cut down quite severely.”

He said the society believed the hours when alcohol could be sold should be between 11am and 6pm, every day of the year.

Councillors also asked questions about whether the applicant understood the conditions of the stress area and the reasoning behind why it was in place.

Ultimately, the panel decided to approve the application with two amendments - firstly to delay the hours in which alcohol could be sold from 8am to 9am, and second to limit the strength of drinks sold in the shop to 5.5% ABV.

They approved the terms of the licence, meaning the shop will be able to sell alcohol from 9am to 11am Monday to Friday and from 9am to midnight on bank holidays, Christmas Eve and New Years Eve.