Pub times change final nail in coffin for nightclub

Owner forced to close

An Inverness nightclub owner has spoken out over the decision to close his city centre premises – costing around 30 jobs – claiming the change in pub times is hitting clubs.

Club Tropicana owner Tony Cochrane claims the removal of the differential times in which pubs and clubs close is the reason he has taken the “tough decision” to shut. The nightclub, on Baron Taylor Street in the city, is closing its doors with around 30 staff being made redundant.

The move comes after nightclub G’s in the city centre closed a year ago.

Mr Cochrane said: “We are the last purpose-built nightclub in Inverness but we now have no choice but to close.

“It is impossible for us to compete with pubs. They have completely eroded the differential. This is 100% down to the change in policy.

“Effectively bars will lose out in the long run. People are used to using bars as feeders before going to clubs but that has now gone. Without the lure of a nightclub, many people will jump on trains or head away for the weekend.

“This is destroying Inverness.”

The nightclub attracted hundreds of revellers each weekend through offering nostalgic hits from Madonna, Whitney, Duran Duran and Erasure among others.

Mr Cochrane added: “They had to go to the licensing board at the last meeting to say ‘please give us this differential’.

“There are some places that will put on music but you don’t get dressed up and excited to just go to the pub.

“The introduction of a similar policy has hampered cities in England where nightclubs have had to close. Glasgow introduced the opposite by allowing a three-hour differential in December and we feel the same should have been done here.

“We have gone to the licensing board and told them the policy simply does not work but our plea fell on deaf ears.

“There is now no strategy in the number of people coming out of establishments which is putting extra pressure on services from transport.

“Let’s say you have a big concert, it will draw people in and all of the bars and pubs will gain big time.

“It’s the same with nightclubs. People come to them for a night in the town, they fill the bars then they go to the clubs.

“But if you lose that, then all the bars and the town as a whole will suffer.

“I agree it will be the exact same situation in Aberdeen.” policing to

TOUGH DECISION: Tony Cochrane, seen here outside his Dundee nightclub, has blamed new pub times for the closure of his Inverness venue, Club Tropicana