Residents have slammed plans to sell alcohol at a new Sainsbury's convenience store in Hampton Wick.

Neighbours raised concerns they would be disturbed by drunk customers if Sainsbury's Local was allowed to open and sell booze from 7am to 11pm every day on Hampton Wick High Street.

A total of 71 residents objected to the application, with concerns including the possibility of neighbours experiencing more antisocial behaviour in Hampton Wick as a result of the store's booze plans.

Tony Page, who has lived in the area since 1981, said it already has enough pubs and shops selling alcohol, when speaking at Richmond Council's licensing hearing yesterday, 4 November.

Page claimed allowing the shop to sell booze would give youngsters easy access to cheaper alcohol and "steal trade" from other venues.

He said: "Hampton Wick is a venue, albeit an illegal one, and there's a daily problem at the cricket club and the skatepark… it's been reported to the police liaison committee that each day the people looking after those areas begin the day by clearing up glass and bottles left by alcohol drinkers, mainly underage."

Maria McManus, who has lived locally since 1997, added: "My main concern with regards to antisocial behaviour and disorder is that Hampton Wick station is largely unmanned, and we don't have ticket barriers.

"Numbers of people will use this as a way of bypassing paying for tickets and when they find that there's a Sainsbury's there where they can buy alcohol, that is going to increase the numbers of people coming there."

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But solicitor Robert Botkai, representing Sainsbury's, said conditions added to the proposed licence dealt with residents' concerns – including appropriately training staff, maintaining an incident log and recording any refusals of alcohol sales.

He said the store would not be a destination for late-night drinkers as it would close by 11pm, while there was no evidence it would increase the number of passengers fare dodging at the station.

Botkai added: "We're confident that we'll be able to operate the store safely and that we will benefit the area."

Residents have previously expressed objections to the new store opening at all as they fear it will ruin independent businesses on the high street- given that the new Sainsbury's will replace the Painted Furniture Company.

The new Sainsbury's local will replace the Painted Furniture Company (Credit: Google Maps)

Richmond Council will publish its decision on the plans in the coming days.