No Change to Late Hours Catering Licences in The Ferry

On Thursday 31st March the Licensing Committee was presented with a review of late hours catering licences outside Dundee city centre. A licence is required for premises which wish to trade in hot food after 11pm. It was suggested to the Committee that the policy might be changed to make the late hours catering licenses in Broughty Ferry extend to 3:30am which would potentially bring them in line with the city centre.

I made the following contribution to the policy review:

"Convener, I do not think it is an anomaly that we have a different policy approach that applies to the granting of extensions to late hours catering licenses in Broughty Ferry. I do not think we should consider amending our policy for Broughty Ferry to bring it into line with arrangements that apply in the City Centre..

There are two main reasons why I think that the current policy should remain in place.

Firstly, I think it is largely unnecessary because the pubs and hotels with late hours liquor licenses already provide extensive onsite catering, including bar meals, hot food and in the case of The Fort and Wetherspoons for example, a restaurant.

This is not the 1960’s or 70’s when the most you could expect to buy with your drink was a packet of crisps or peanuts. 

It is therefore easy for those that are are enjoying a night out to combine drinking and eating out as the two are no longer segregated. Those leaving pubs at closing time don't need to look for a takeaway establishment on their way home because there has been no food available to them all night.

Secondly in Broughty Ferry it is indisputable that a significant number of residents live in the main commercial streets in homes over commercial premises or close by. It is recognised that hot food takeaways tend to lead to people lingering in the street as they consume their takeaways and this causes noise and nuisance for residents. 

On behalf of these residents therefore, I would ask that we spare them the imposition of even later hours licensing of hot food premises in Broughty Ferry.

In conclusion therefore I am strongly of the view that the current policy decision should be retained."

After the Licensing Committee Meeting, I made the following statement:

"I was please that I managed to persuade all the members of the Licensing Committee to back my proposal and leave things as they are. Surely midnight Sundays to Thursdays and 0100 hrs Friday/Saturday is late enough?

Link to Dundee City Council Late Hours Catering Policy