Dundee’s night time economy has been dramatically altered with pubs and nightclubs now able to apply for later licences under a radical shake up of the city’s licensing laws.
Despite strong opposition from the Dundee Drug and Alcohol Partnership, Police Scotland, NHS Tayside and even two nightclubs, the city council’s licensing board unanimously agreed a new late-hours policy for licensed premises.
The new policy means pubs will now be allowed to open until 1am, “hybrid” pubs offering “substantial entertainment” till 2am and dedicated nightclubs until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Opponents pointed out the changes were contrary to the board’s licensing objectives on the grounds that it would adversely affect people’s health, increase the availability of alcohol and increase crime and anti-social behaviour in the city centre.
At the monthly board meeting, Dr Drew Walker, NHS Tayside’s Director of Public Health warned the board that Scottish and in particular Dundee people had a “toxic relationship with alcohol”.
Peter Allan of the Dundee Drug and Alcohol Partnership added: “Alcohol and drug abuse blight the lives of citizens in Dundee”, and pointed out that research showed that alcohol was a bigger problem than drugs.
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