Govanhill bar The Rose Reilly on Albert Road gets later hours and outdoor area

The Rose Reilly on Albert Road, previously the Hampden Bar, opened in late December and is managed by the team behind another Govanhill bar, The Bell Jar, as well as The Sparkle Horse in Partick.

Glasgow’s Licensing Board approved a number of changes to the pub’s licence on Friday, allowing bar meals, an outdoor area and opening to midnight during the week. The bar previously only operated until 12pm at weekends.

There was one objection to the changes, with a neighbour raising concerns over the impact on a residential area. They are concerned about noise from smokers gathering outside the pub as well as the newly-approved beer garden.

Audrey Junner, representing the pub, said the changes “reflect a new direction for the premises” — which is named after Ayrshire-born former footballer Rose Reilly, who won a World Cup with Italy.

She added the operators have “rejuvenated” their other bars, bringing them “back to life” and “essentially that’s what they’re looking to do with the premises here”.

Initially, they had planned to have an outdoor area for 90 people but that has been cut to 30.

A substitute for the objector told board members how people smoking outside the pub “leads to noise, which can have a direct impact when you’re in a flat directly above”.

He added there had not previously been any outdoor seating.

Ms Junner said concerns were “understandable” if “somebody lives above the premises that is reopening”, but she added the objection was “speculative” as it had been submitted before the venue opened.

“They are experienced in operating outside spaces, they do have one at Sparkle Horse,” she said, adding everyone has to be seated and there is CCTV.

“Their ethos as a company is about being accessible to all, they want to make it a very welcoming premises for the community.”

The objector said they had a good relationship with the current operators, who are “wonderful”, but “this isn’t about them”.

“This is about changing the licence holder’s permissions,” he said. “If they owned the pub then their application would be relevant to them.

“It’s owned by somebody else, who at any point could change entirely from what their design is.”

He said the current team could get “kicked out” or struggle due to the cost of living crisis and then “someone else comes in and all the licensing conditions have already been changed to something that’s less friendly to residents”.

“Sparkle Horse is great, the Bell Jar is great. I’m a big fan of them, but that doesn’t change the fact it’s not about them.”

He added midnight closure in a residential area “changes the nature of the neighbourhood”. “How am I meant to get to sleep?”

Cllr Bill Butler, who was chairing the board, said any “substantive” changes “would have to come back to the board”.

“There is, within the legal framework, comfort that anybody wishing to make changes which you are apprehensive about would have to come back to the board at that time.”

Ms Junner added the operators are “hoping to be there for the long-term”. “They have signed a long lease, they are committed to the premises.”