Now this is bullshite A SCOTS bar and restaurant is being forced to give away beer and wine because their local council can’t process their drinks licence.
The pub is the victim of the legislative logjam created by the new licensing act which came into force on September 1 and which compels all premises to have a personal licence holder.
A huge number of pubs across Scotland have yet to have these new licences processed — it’s thought to be as many as one third — and it’s expected that the deadline for them to be done will have to be extended for a second time.
Muddle
Caught in the middle of this administrative muddle is a new establishment in central Scotland which has been giving away alcohol for nine weeks while they wait for their licence to be passed by the council.
The wrangle has meant a booze bonanza for customers, but financial misery for the new restaurant owners.
They estimate they have given away an astonishing — and financially crippling — £31,000 worth of booze since they opened.
While existing licence holders have been given breathing space until the backlog is cleared, the same does not apply to new premises.
Glitch
A further glitch for the central Scotland business has meant they haven’t been granted an occasional licence — effectively a temporary licence — while waiting for the permanent one to be processed.
It means that they can’t sell alcohol and are forced to give it free to customers who, for example, want wine with their meal.
The alternative is to see them go elsewhere.
The situation is so sensitive that the owners are reluctant to even name the local council responsible for the delay in administering their licence.
They don’t want to create further problems with the licensing board — and also want to avoid a queue outside their door of people looking for free booze!
“We’re being punished because people are interpreting the new law differently in different parts of the country,” the owner told The Sunday Post.
New laws
“The new laws are hurting all businesses but particularly new ones.
“If people ask for a glass of wine or a beer then we’re giving it to them for free.
“We need to do this to entice them in or they’ll simply go elsewhere. We are giving away around £3500 of drink a week.
“We’d be cheaper paying people off and closing the doors but we’re determined to see this business succeed.
“It will be another four weeks before we can get our licence and that will see me give away a further £14,000 worth of drink.
“I just can’t afford this.”
“Ridiculous”
Paul Watterson of the Scottish Licensed Traders Association said, “It’s terrible that these premises haven’t been given their licence yet.
“The new act has fallen at the first hurdle and it’s a ridiculous situation.
“As far as we know, no licences have been processed in Glasgow and it could be January before they get them. This is the first time I’ve heard of new premises having to operate without a licence at all.
“The softly-softly approach encouraged by Kenny MacAskill has helped existing businesses but is of no use to new ones.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Government said, “We granted an extension to the deadline for personal licences in the case of premise managers who completed training and made the application in good time.
“When we made that announcement, Mr MacAskill made clear that he expected the licensing boards to process these applications as efficiently and quickly as possible. That remains the case.
“It remains a matter for the licensing boards and those responsible for enforcement.”
http://www.thesundaypost.co.uk/postindex.htm
I am sure if the were giving away free drink it would be more than 31 grand especially up here
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as he"s worked for nearly every private hire firm here until the bullshite starts then there quick to get shot ,now us hackneys have the pleasure of is company and is utter bullshite ,on the days you dont see him its because he"s been playing online poker and won thousands 