A Somerset Budgens store can serve alcohol to its customers 24 hours a day, despite nearby residents fearing it will bring noise, crime and "rowdy behaviour" to the area.

The Wells branch of Budgens is located within the Esso petrol station on the B3139 Bath Road, in a residential neighbourhood on the eastern edge of Somerset's smallest city.

Motor Fuel Ltd. applied to vary its existing licence for the store (which also includes a Post Office counter), allowing it to sell alcohol for consumption off the premises 24 hours a day.

Somerset Council has agreed to change the licence, despite local residents claiming it is already frequented by "alcoholics".

Under its existing licence, Budgens can only supply alcohol for consumption off the premises between 7am and 10pm daily.

The changes will not only allow the sale of alcohol around the clock, but also allow the company to provide "late-night refreshment" between 11pm and 5am daily (which includes hot drinks takeaway hot food such as pies or pasties).

Avon and Somerset Constabulary lodged no formal application to the proposed change, putting forward a series of conditions agreed in advance with the applicant.

This includes a condition that all sales of alcohol should be carried out through the night pay window between 11pm and 6am, to take account of limited staffing levels overnight.

Local residents spoke out against the proposals when the council's licensing sub-committee east met virtually on September 24.

Caroline Baxendale, representing residents of The Mews, said: "We have had reported incidents of crime and disorder in the evenings outside Budgens, including threatening behaviour and one of the staff being injured.

"The site is a quiet, densely populated residential area of Wells, and noise and antisocial behaviour will alter the ambience for residents, many of whom are quite elderly.

"We should be focused on reducing alcohol dependency. Budgens is a total asset to the community and we love it as it stands.

"The police totally seem to have ignored the problems we've had."

Daniel Dutton, who lives directly opposite the petrol station, said: "I have two small children, whose bedrooms are at the front of our house.

"The changes will add noise pollution and light pollution. The petrol station is already in breach of planning conditions, demonstrating their disregard for local people.

"Alcoholics regularly use or steal from the store – they sit on the walls outside making noise, or sit on the bench 100 metres up the road until the wee hours, shouting and drinking.

"One member of staff had his arm broken in the last year due to antisocial, drunken people. I am concerned for my family."

More than 20 additional objections had been submitted in writing before the virtual hearing took place (though the names of objectors have not been made public by the council).

Robert Botkai, senior partner at Oxford-based legal firm Winckworth Sherwood LLP (representing the applicant) told the sub-committee: "Motor Fuel Ltd. owns over 1,100 petrol stations around the country.

"They are all licensed to sell alcohol, and more than 800 of them are licensed to serve alcohol 24 hours a day.

"Our area manager has 15 stores under his wing; seven of these are in Somerset, and six of those have a 24-hour licence.

"This is not an application for permission to open the store later than 10pm.

"There are no problems with running the store at the moment."

Following a short debate in a confidential session, the sub-committee voted that the licence should be granted with the agreed police conditions.