Glasgow approves 1am bar licence for city centre
Pubs will be able to extend their closing time by an hour
- Published
Glasgow city centre pubs will now be able to stay open for an extra hour as part of a 12-month pilot programme.
Pubs, bars and restaurants have previously had to shut at midnight, but now the Glasgow Licensing Board has approved 54 applications to close at 01:00.
The new closing hour can be introduced with immediate effect for those premises.
It is hoped the move will boost the city's late-night economy and comes after clubs were allowed to open later.
It brings Glasgow in line with Edinburgh which already allows bars to close at 01:00.
Social responsibility
This pilot scheme comes shortly after a trial of 04:00 licences for nightclubs in the city centre was made permanent.
The council says the new closing hour is aimed at encouraging crowds to leave licensed premises in phases, instead of large numbers of people leaving at the same time.
This tends to create policing issues and puts pressure on the availability of taxis, public transport and late-night food takeaways.
Bailie Thomas Kerr, who chairs the Glasgow Licensing Board, said there had been "considerable support" for testing a later closing time.
“Glasgow city centre is a great place for a night out and we want to ensure people who come to enjoy the centre have the best possible experience," he said.
"We think the 01:00 pilot can improve public safety in the city centre and that’s something we will be looking at very closely with our partners following the conclusion of the 12-month trial period.”
Police Scotland, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Licensing Standards will all be involved in the pilot review alongside members of Glasgow Licensing Board.
It will look for evidence that connects the pilot with any changes to crime data or hospital admission figures.
A total of 54 premises had applied for the extended opening time and they were all approved.
The licensing board looked for evidence of membership in industry schemes, CCTV throughout a premises, staff training and social responsibility.
This includes adequate transport home for staff and a focus on customer safety.