Edinburgh Festival late licence for pubs cancelled

Iain Ponton, owner of Oz Bar in Edinburgh's Grassmarket, said it would have "really helped" if he could have stayed open later during August

The two-hour extended opening hours given to pubs during the Edinburgh Festival have been cancelled this summer by licensing officials.

The late licences usually come into operation in August, allowing pubs to stay open until 03:00 and nightclubs until 05:00.

Disappointed pub owners said the licences would have helped recoup some of their lockdown losses.

Edinburgh City Council said it was due to there being no festival this year.

Iain Ponton, owner of Oz Bar in Edinburgh's Grassmarket, said it would have "really helped" if could have stayed open later during August.

'Plenty of tourists'

He said: "I'm really disappointed by this news as Edinburgh Council said it wanted to help businesses recover from the lockdown.

"The Edinburgh Festival might be off but Edinburgh isn't shutting down. There are plenty of tourists walking about and this would have helped us recoup some of the money we have lost during the lockdown.

"The council really is not helping by doing this. What harm would it have done to let us carry on having a late licence during August?"

Cammy Barnett, general manager of Tonic, said he had been relying on the late licence going ahead

Cammy Barnett, general manager of Tonic in North Castle Street in the centre of Edinburgh, said he had been relying on the late licence going ahead.

"This is a shock," he said. "I am very disappointed as it would have made a huge difference to have extended hours each night as we really need to recoup the losses we have had during the last four months of lockdown.

"We are only able to run at 50% capacity just now so we are severely restricted in this building so it's another blow to lose the late licence.

"The later closing during August is very popular and is a big thing for us. There are customers who want to have a chilled night and don't want to be forced onto a nightclub to carry on their night and the late licence means they can do that.

"It would have been amazing to have had it this year and we were relying on it."

Frankie Benham, assistant manager of Malones in Morrison Street said the extra revenue from the extra hours would have made a huge difference to them

Frankie Benham, assistant manager of Malones in Morrison Street, said the extra revenue from the extra hours would have made a huge difference to them.

She said: "I feel frustrated as it doesn't matter if we close at 1am or 3am socially distancing-wise so I think this is a bit unfair of the council to cancel the late licence.

"We rely on the extra trade and it gets us through the quiet periods.

"We have just had four months of nothing so it would have made a big difference to us to be able to open later during August."

Sonny Grant, assistant manager of Cask Smugglers, said he felt "disheartened" by the council's decision

Sonny Grant, assistant manager of Cask Smugglers on Waverley Mall roof top in Princes Street, said: "It is disheartening that we wont get the extra hours.

"For me not being able to give them to staff, who want the extra hours, is very hard.

"Also fellow staff from the hospitality sector come to our venue after they have finished their shifts in restaurants and rely on us having later hours, so they won't be able to come after work now."

Norman Work, chairman of City of Edinburgh Council's licensing board, said: "As the festivals are not going ahead due to the coronavirus this year, the board has made a decision not to go ahead with agreeing dates for licence extensions normally applicable during the festivals this summer.

"This information has been shared on the licensing board pages of the council's website and through social media."