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
On Thursday I wrote to Councillor David Bowes, Convener of the Licensing Board, and Councillor Stewart Hunter, the Convener of the Licensing Committee about my concerns about the disconnected public consultations about proposed changes to the licensing hours of pubs, bars and take away food establishments.
"Dear David and Stewart,
I am writing to you in your respective capacities as Convener of the Licensing Board and Convener of the Licensing Committee. As you will be aware both committees are undertaking consultations about Licensing hours. The consultation on potential extension of hours for licensed clubs and pubs has already been put out for consultation. In the covering note to that consultation, we are informed that:
'It is intended to report back to the Board at its meeting on Thursday, 22nd August 2013 and, if any of the above proposals are to be adopted, these would be incorporated in a supplementary statement to the existing licensing policy. The Board would welcome your views on the above proposals and these can be submitted to me in writing by letter to the above address or, alternative, by email to licensing.board@dundeecity.gov.uk by no later than Wednesday, 31st July 2013.'
At the Licensing Committee on Thursday 27 June, the Committee agreed to conduct a parallel consultation about licensing hours for take away food establishments. It seems unlikely that that survey can be reported until the September meeting of the Licensing Committee as understandably it is yet to be issued. At our June meeting of the Licensing Committee I asked, and it was agreed, that the eight Local Community Planning Partnerships as well as Community Councils and other local representative bodies could also be included in that consultation.
Given the obvious overlap between both consultations, I think it would be mistaken to consider them separately. In fact there is a danger that if the Licensing Board meet and make policy decisions on extending licensing hours for pubs and night clubs at their August meeting that this might then pre-empt the policy decisions of the Licensing Committee in September about opening hours for takeaways.
I suggest that we invite the Licensing staff to prepare a consolidated report on all both consultations and then provide a single report with the respective recommendations to both committees meeting in September. I understand in the early 1990s such a procedure was used and the Licensing Board met one day and the Licensing Committee met the next day.
Postponing the reporting to the Licensing Board on their policy consultation from August to September would also allow time to refer the Licensing Board consultation to the cycle of meeting of our Local Community Planning Partnerships in August.
Hopefully, this sure ensure that we have an opportunity to create and adopt an integrated set of licensing policies that work for the public and licensees."
End of letter.
I think we need a good public debate about these proposed changes to licensing hours and the consultation should not be rushed. I believe that my suggestions would not only provide an opportunity for the results of the two consultations to be brought together but also provide more time for the public to be involved.
I know many residents live close to licensed premises in central Broughty Ferry. I hope that they take this opportunity to respond to the Council's consultations about potential extended hours opening for pubs, clubs and takeaways because these proposed changes could have a significant effect on life in The Ferry.
