CONSIDERING Scotland’s tricky relationship with alcohol, it is an eye-catching proposal: bars and nightclubs in Glasgow could soon be allowed to extend their opening hours to 4am. The plan, put forward by the city’s licensing board, is that venues would be allowed to close later if they can demonstrate their contribution to the night-time economy. And the ultimate aim? According to the board, it is to create a more vibrant and attractive city centre.
But what will Glaswegians make of the idea? Anyone who has been in the city centre at weekends knows that it can indeed be a vibrant and attractive place, but at times, like any other city, it can be intimidating too, especially when the pubs close. The idea of 4am licences will also be a particular concern to residents who live near clusters of pubs and clubs – quite naturally, they will worry that longer opening hours can only mean one thing: more noise and disruption.
However, Glasgow’s licensing board deserves credit for advancing the idea of longer licences in a responsible way. The chairman Matt Kerr says the board wants to support the licensing trade in the city as much as it can while also ensuring it provides the safeguards expected of them by the licensing legislation, which lays down objectives including the prevention of crime, disorder and public nuisance. The venues that apply for the 4am licences would also have to demonstrate high standards in managing their premises.
This is the right approach, although the trick will be in balancing all the competing interests. In parts of Sauchiehall Street for example, some businesses feel the council has allowed too many licensed premises, but the area is much better policed and monitored than it used to be. Those who apply for 4am licences will have to demonstrate what will be done to keep the area around their venues safe. Any extension of the usual closing times should also be part of a wider strategy that takes in policing and transport. How will the people who head out of clubs at 4am get home? Will there be enough police and marshals on duty?
All of these questions will have to be considered as part of any pilot, although it will also have to look carefully at the effect on the numbers of people in the city centre at any one time. The counter-intuitive theory is that opening later will avoid any rush to consume alcohol before closing time and therefore lead to quieter and calmer streets rather than noisier ones.
However, the guiding principle of any change should be the effects on the community. Glasgow’s clubs and bars generate millions of pounds and no doubt extending licences until 4am would generate more. But the benefit to the economy should not and cannot come at a serious cost to the community.
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