Glasgow Booze Ban: All 13 areas in Glasgow set to have ‘near-ban’ on new pubs and off-licenses

Thirteen areas of Glasgow are set to continue to have near bans for new pubs, off licences and other venues selling alcohol, the city’s licensing board proposed.

The neighbourhoods – listed below – have been identified as “overprovision” localities. It means it is considered there is a link between alcohol related harm and the number of licensed premises in the neighbourhoods.

Types of alcohol related harm considered include the number of booze related hospital admissions, incidents of disorder per 10,000 people and alcohol specific deaths.

Ibrox, Parkhead West and Govan are among the areas branded as places of overprovision.

The rule means councillors are advised there is a presumption against granting any further alcohol licences in those places. The policy makes it harder for businesses to get permission to sell booze but in some circumstances it may still be possible.

Glasgow City Council is currently holding a consultation on the overprovision policy in relation to granting licences. The licensing board has proposed the current overprovision areas to remain in place following feedback.

The areas where there is a pro-active presumption against the grant of further licences in Glasgow, which are proposed to continue according to a final overprovision assessment for consultation:

• Bridgeton
• Calton and Gallowgate
• Carntyne West and Haghill
• Govan and Linthouse
• Ibrox
• Keppochill
• Laurieston and Tradeston
• Maryhill West
• Parkhead West and Barrowfield
• Possilpark
• Ruchill
• Shettleston North
• Wyndford

A new version of the licensing policy statement is to be published by November 5 this year to replace the current one, which was adopted in 2018.

People are being invited to have their say on the licensing board policy statement consultation on overprovision by September 27.

The licensing board regulates premises selling alcohol to the public.

A spokesman for Glasgow Licensing Board said: “Determining which parts of the city have an ‘overprovision’ of licensed premises is a vital part of our licensing policy statement.

“Identifying an area with an overprovision of licences creates a presumption against new licences being granted for these parts of the city and the approach is intended to address alcohol-related harm in these areas.

“We look at a range of factors when identifying an overprovision area, including crime statistics, alcohol-related emergency admissions to hospital, the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation along with the number of licensed premises.

“The pandemic clearly had a major impact on the licensed trade and there is still work to do on how that may have affected alcohol-related harm in overprovision areas.

“But a substantial amount of work has gone on over the past decade on over provision and we have a good understanding of where in the city we need to focus our policy effort.

“Putting the over-provision policy out to consultation as part of the wider draft policy statement gives interested parties the opportunity to input their point of view into the development of the policy, which is requirement of the licensing legislation.

“In the draft policy it is still the case that there is a ‘rebuttable presumption’ against awarding premises licences in an overprovision area.

“We would also reserve the right to refuse, where appropriate, licence applications on the basis of overprovision for premises out with the city’s overprovision areas.”

The council said on its consultation portal : “All of the views and comments provided as part of this public consultation will be taken into account before the final version of the new licensing policy statement is published in November.”

No final decision will be taken until all of the consultation responses have been considered by the licensing board.

You can find out more here.

As well as overprovision the council is seeking views on its licensing board policy statement.