THE Arches arts and clubbing venue in Glasgow is to appeal against the controversial decision to curtail its licensed hours.

The venue's board, following legal advice, is to try and overturn the decision by the city's licensing board which effectively closed its clubbing operation, thereby threatening the future of its arts activities, which the club income supports.

The decision has caused outrage and concern in the arts world and beyond, with more than 37,000 signatures on an online petition urging a reversal of the decision, and the publication of an open letter in support of the venue signed by 400 artists including leading actors and writers, musicians and DJs, poets and playwrights.

An Arches appeal to the board is likely to be heard in August.

The venue has also arranged a funding advance from two key financial backers, Creative Scotland and Glasgow City Council, to support its programme in the short term, as well as paying for specialist advice to "properly consider all future options."

Creative Scotland has agreed to advance £92,000, and there is a contribution from Glasgow City Council worth £37,000.

A statement from the venue said the decision by the licensing board, responding to complaints from Police Scotland, to limit the venue to a midnight licence "would effectively close its club and have a devastating effect on its future as a cultural centre".

Lucy Mason, artistic director, and Mark Anderson, executive director of The Arches, said: "The board of The Arches is grateful for and has agreed to the funding package offered by Creative Scotland and Glasgow City Council, which provides for stability in the short-term as we look to find a more permanent solution in the weeks to come.

"At the same time, having taken appropriate legal advice, we believe there are grounds to appeal the decision of the licensing board and will now proceed on that basis."

The city's licensing board, chaired by Councillor Bill Butler, ruled the venue was to shut from midnight, a response to the third attempt by Police Scotland to have it effectively closed in a year.

The force claimed the venue's "robust drugs search policy" was "not sufficient deterrent to patrons attending the premises in possession of drugs".

All scheduled arts events at the venue between now and the end of June will go ahead as planned with club events moved to alternative venues.

Three events have changed venues, with club nights moving to La Cheetah, the O2 Academy and SWG3 venues on June 19, 26 and October 17 respectively.

The Arches, based in the Victorian archways under Glasgow's Central Station, was founded in 1991.

Last week Hugh Hodgart, the director of drama at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, wrote that "any threat to the future of The Arches as a contemporary performance venue is a threat to Glasgow's place within Scotland, the UK and beyond".

The open letter signed by 400 artists, including the Makar Liz Lochhead, said: "We are not satisfied that full consideration has been given to the potentially catastrophic impact this decision will have on the cultural life of Scotland.

"The Arches is a hugely important institution in Scottish culture which performs a number of key roles."

It added: "The Arches nightclub also plays a vital role in the live music scene of which Glasgow is so rightly proud, and which is reflected in the city's status as Unesco City of Music."