A heavily-opposed Tesco store in Mill End, due to be built this year, has applied for a licence to sell alcohol until 11pm.

Plans for the supermarket, on the site of the old Happy Man Pub in Berry Lane, were approved in March 2011.

Before the building work is completed, the supermarket chain has applied for a licence to sell alcohol between Monday and Sunday, 6am to 11pm, the same as the store's opening times.

Residents have voiced concerns over the sale of alcohol after 10pm and the local problems it could cause.

Peter Crispin, secretary of Rickmansworth Residents' Association, said he hoped the new shop would adopt the same policy as the larger store in Harefield Road.

“I'm aware than Tesco takes a dim view of selling alcohol to drunk people - whether that will apply for a smaller store I don't know."

Mr Crispin said the supermarket chain would avoid the store becoming a “retail Happy Man”.

He added: “If it did, then the council's licensing committee would come down very hard and that might have a knock on effect for the licence on Harefield Road.”

Before approval, the development, which includes four flats and a “Metro” sized shop, attracted 449 letters of objection and an 800 signature petition.

The site remained unchanged until the pub was demolished last March. Residents and business owners assumed that meant construction would soon start.

However, work ceased due to amendments being made to the design and construction of elements of the building.

Three Rivers District Council leader Ann Shaw has been told the new shop would open on February 17, almost two years after planning permission was granted.

Temporary traffic lights near the site caused more bad feeling in December and now the National Grid has announced it will need to set up four-way lights at the junction with Tudor Way.

Mr Crispin added: “I was driving behind someone and a car tried to beat the lights. He had to do an emergency stop and luckily I stopped too. The temporary lights were a sign of things to come when the shop is built. When there have been trucks delivering things, it's been absolute chaos, a nightmare.”

The work, to carry out their connections to the new store, will be carried out between Thursday, January 12, and Monday, January 16.

Comment about the alcohol licence can be addressed to David Shorto at Three Rivers Licensing Authority, Three Rivers Council, Northway, Rickmansworth, Herts. WD3 1RL, by Wednesday, January 18.