One thing that bothers me about the residents’ objections, is that they place much of the blame on the homeless shelter. Of course some people find homeless shelters unsettling, but they’re an important resource.

“This is not your typical high-street site,” she said. “A large source of alcohol from this precise point will just draw people from the homeless shelter opposite, and from nearby streets, literally to our doorway.” She added that other shops on this road had “constant run-ins with the homeless and drug addicts.”

Having already submitted a letter of objection signed by over 40 other people, including local businesses, Darina’s concerns were echoed at the hearing. Laura Schaefer said she was struggling to put her two-year-old toddler to bed amid the noise from “loitering and public drinking,” and agreed that the nearby homeless shelter had caused a “big issue” in terms of anti-social behaviour.