A bottle store owner's dreams of strengthening his off-licence chain have been dashed after his application for a shop in the heart of Mount Maunganui was declined.

Go Liquor Limited managing director Inderpreet Singh's intention was to open a 'high end” bottle store, specialising in premium wines and whiskeys, at the former Vogue Lighting store in ‘Vogue House' at 9 Prince Avenue.

Go Liquor Limited managing director Inderpreet Singh during last month's Tauranga District Licensing Committee hearing. Photo: Bruce Barnard.

Lodged in June, the application sought the granting of a stand-alone bottle store situated within the Mount CBD's Permanent Liquor Ban. It would also have been within the cordoned area at New Year's where no alcohol is permitted in the public area.

Tauranga District Licensing Committee chairman Murray Clearwater says the application has been declined due to a lack of due diligence into the proposed site and surrounding demographic.

Murray, in the commissioner's decision released earlier this month, adds Indepreet submitted an 'inadequate” training package for all staff under the new Sale and Supply Act 2012, causing serious doubt around the sale of alcohol.

'Several of the sections related to on-licensed premises, and Mr Singh could not recall any of the new objects of the 2012 Act,” he said.

'Direction comes from the top. If Mr Singh doesn't know the rules they now operate under, then it is unlikely his staff will.”

Inderpreet, during last month's committee hearing, said he was aware the area is a permanent liquor-free zone but disputed there are already two other bottle stores in the allocated area.

The other liquor stores are Downtown Foodmarket and Mount Liquor Mart, both on Maunganui Road. If granted it would have meant three off-licence stores within a 250m radius.

But Inderpreet believed the proposed liquor store would be in a commercial part of the town centre, opposed to residential, and wouldn't add to any alcohol-related harm.

Murray, however, notes 13 of the 18 public objectors are residential property owners, within 250m of the proposed site, along with a nearby church and a number of elderly residents on the adjacent Victoria Road.

It is estimated the store would have earned $20,000 a week to begin with, before increasing to $35,000 once a client base had been developed.

Other objectors included Western Bay of Plenty Police alcohol harm reduction co-ordinator Sergeant Nigel McGlone and Liquor licensing inspector Danielle Jurgeleit, who said the liquor store would do nothing but increase the level of alcohol-related harm.

It was also outlined 12 per cent of the Mount Maunganui North demographic is under 15-years - a worrying percentage given the application to open the store less than 300 metres away from residential properties.

All of which Inderpreet disagreed with, or had no knowledge of, when details were put to him during the hearing. He said the basis of his application was on research from his existing bottle store on Oceanbeach Road.

Inderpreet currently operates three other licensed premises; Hot Spot Liquor on Oceanbeach Road, Papamoa Liquor Centre on Gravatt Road and Thirsty Liquor Unit on Domain Road – none of which have been convicted of any offences relating to sales to minors or intoxicated persons.

'We were disappointed with Mr Singh's lack of personal knowledge of the community he hoped to go into and that he had not engaged with the businesses, community and other organisations in the Mount CBD area,” says Murray.