Clubs to stay open until 4am
REVELLERS in Glasgow will now be able to enjoy the city’s nightlife for an hour longer under new licensing rules.
A pilot project to allow clubs to open until 4am has been given the green light by council bosses.
FOUR AM licences are coming to Glasgow.
Clubs will be able to apply to stay open until 4am in the city after the city’s licensing board backed a pilot project to extend hours.
The plan means clubs who meet certain criteria can be granted an extra hour of opening.
The Evening Times reported earlier this year that councillors were considering the move, which has now been approved.
Licences will initially last for a 12-month period after which it will be evaluated before a decision is taken on allowing it to continue.
The city-centre wide policy will also be reviewed after one year.
Noise levels and the impact on the surrounding community will be taken into account.
The licensing board said clubs will need to show that the extra hour will “contribute positively to the night time economy”.
Those applying for the licence will also need to show investment in safety and security measures like CCTV for safety of staff and customers.
After a year, councillors will look again and see if the extended hours has had any impact on alcohol related crime and disorder and on dispersal of customers from the city centre in the early hours.
Councillor Matt Kerr, Licensing Board convenor, said: “There are many examples of good practice in the trade already in this city, but this Board is determined to both broaden and deepen excellence in the trade, acknowledging the vital role that well trained and well supported staff play in delivering that excellence to the public, and delivering on our statutory licensing objectives.
“This is the essence of the 4am pilot scheme we will introduce through this policy – not a giveaway, but a reasoned approach to policy-making; not simply a reward, but a challenge to the trade of our city.”
A spokesman for the council said: “The additional hour will only be available to licence holders that can demonstrate a level of excellence in the way they manage their premises.
“Factors such as a commitment to staff training and social responsibility, good employment practices, investment in safety and security and a reduced reliance on single use plastic could all help make the case for the additional licensed hour.
“In other words, if a licence holder wants an extra hour of opening for their venue as part of this pilot, then they have to show a willingness to go the extra mile with how they operate.”
Clubs have up until January 31 next year to apply for a licence to be part of the pilot.