Banonpavementcaféssparks angry response from licensees

Restaurant owners say new approach is ‘self-defeating’

ASPIRATIONS for a ‘cafe culture’ in Glasgow face another set back as bans are imposed on al fresco wining and dining at venues overlooked by residential properties.

Hospitality trade leaders and licensing experts have warned up-and-coming areas like Glasgow’s Finnieston could see their popularity undone as city planners begin to enforce latent rules on pavement eating and drinking.

With residential properties overlooking all but a small handful of Glasgow thoroughfares in the city centre, west end and south side, the council has been accused by one key licensing figure of enforcing “negative regulation (which) is bad for the hospitality industry, bad for the city’s economy and bad for tourism”.

The red tape has emerged almost one year after it was revealed the city council had signalled it would ditch a long-held laissez-faire approach to the issue and instead demand full planning permission from any venue with as much as a table and chair on its adjoining pavement.

Glasgow restaurateur Ryan James, who operates the acclaimed Two Fat Ladies outlets, said that for a lot of hospitality businesses which only have a handful of tables, the costs for an application can be up to £3,000 with no guarantee it will be approved.

Mr James, who is also the chairman of the Glasgow Restaurateurs’ Association, added: “This really smacks of not having a joined-up approach to pol- icies about attracting business for Glasgow’s hospitality industry.

“A cafe society with pavement cafes has been the aspiration of Glasgow, yet we trip ourselves up with this stuff. We spend so much on enhancing the public realm and enticing people into the city yet kill the vibrancy.

“If you live somewhere like Finnieston, the vibe is one of the main draws. Same with the Merchant City. So approaches like this are self-defeating. It’s hard to see the harm customers at a pavement cafe or bar until 10pm can cause on the few days a year our climate allows it.”

From 2007 until last summer, venues only required approval from the roads department that public thoroughfares were not blocked and permission to serve alcohol from the licensing board.

All outside areas are required under licensing law to be cleared by 10pm.

As businesses without valid permits seek approval for the coming summer, it is understood applications lodged for outside drinking by venues have in recent weeks been refused because of the proximity of tenements.

The new approach applies to venues renewing their consents with the roads department or applying for the first time.

A city council spokesman said: “Our current planning policy is clear that applications for outside areas for food and drink will be refused if they are overlooked by residential property.

“But, we take a light touch approach to planning enforcement in respect of such areas already in use.

“Our policies seek to strike an appropriate balance between the needs of businesses and protection of adjacent residents.”