Greek restaurant in West End given alcohol licence despite concerns

Dowanhill, Hyndland and Kelvinside Community Council raised concerns over the number of licensed venues in the area and the impact on neighbours.

However, the city’s Licensing Board decided to hand a provisional premises licence to the restaurant/takeaway.

A community council representative had argued there “are already too many licensed premises on Byres Road and its lanes”.

She said the location, on the ground floor of a four-storey residential tenement, would “only increase overall disturbance to local residents in particular while intensifying the night-time economy”.

The representative added the “small onsite capacity”, with 12 people able to sit inside, implies “that the takeaway part of the operation will presumably constitute a large proportion of the business”. “This will increase the probability of noise and disturbance from customers and delivery vehicles.”

Licensing lawyer Robin Morton, representing Gyros, said Byres Road is “not among the board’s designated overprovision areas”.

“We must look at the make-up of this locality, it’s bang in the middle of the West End, student country, the University of Glasgow, densely populated, many flats with students and young professionals, a bustling area.”

He added: “If this licence is granted the proposal is for bottled beers and wines to accompany food. It’s not going to be somewhere to come in and have a drink. The ethos is a quick meal with a drink.”

The venue agreed to remove a request to show televised sports and host meetings/receptions following the community council objection. It has been serving food but has been unable to serve alcohol until now.

Mr Morton added: “I can see how the community council would be concerned about delivery drivers and perhaps litter, there has been no issues so far with delivery drivers.

“They are well trained and there is plenty of on-street parking. There’s been no noticeable increase in disturbance and I don’t think an addition this small will increase that.”

Mr Morton said staff at Gyros carry out two litter picks per day.

Cllr Margaret Morgan, who chairs the Licensing Board, said: “You said an increase of 20 proportionally is not very large, but an increase of 20 when alcohol is added could be interpreted as being quite substantial for people living above the shop.”

Mr Morton said: “Of course, that’s a factor for those residents upstairs, if it was a bar I would have some concerns, it’s a restaurant, the alcohol is ancillary to the food and none of those neighbours have objected.”

Cllr Morgan recorded her dissent with the board’s decision.

Cllr Dan Hutchison raised concerns over customers “grabbing and going with alcohol”, particularly with the restaurant’s proximity to Kelvingrove Park.

Mr Morton said: “There is no more risk of alcohol being taken to Kelvingrove Park from these premises than any other in the vicinity of Kelvingrove Park.”