Chaired by Roger Colkett, Tollcross CC:

First, thanks to all who attended at least for part of the time (one or two people had technology problems):

Elspeth Wills of Old Town CC; John Loudon of Cramond and Barnton CC; Douglas Tharby of Leith Harbour and New Haven CC; Charlotte Encombe of Leith Central CC; Keith Giblett of Queensferry and District CC; Joan Carter of Southside CC; Sally Millar of Leith Links CC. Thanks too to Ken Robertson, Secretary of the Edinburgh Association of Community Councils (EACC), for setting up the meeting and hosting it on Teams.

As always, given the diversity of the different communities represented, there were different priorities; for example in outer areas of the city in contrast to the areas of overprovision in the city centre and parts of Leith, there can be a lack of provision of some types of licensed premises.

There was pretty general consensus during the meeting that the availability of information on CEC’s website regarding both existing and applied-for Licences is woefully inadequate. Why could it not be at least as good as that provided for Planning?  

There was understandable confusion, though, about the scope of liquor licensing, civic licensing and tables & chairs permits. To most people, all these matters are the responsibility of the City Council and one shouldn’t have to understand the details of how one’s local authority is organised in order to make a complaint or raise an issue. (Perhaps one day Scottish local government will be adequately funded and then perhaps people would simply have to submit their concerns to a single page on the website or a single dedicated phone number with the council having a group of council officers tasked with distributing enquiries or complaints to the appropriate department.)

In the meantime, I think more Community Councillors need to familiarise themselves as best they can with The Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 (as amended)

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2005/16/contents

and with the Edinburgh Licensing Board’s Licensing Policy

https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/24379/alcohol-licensing-policy-november-2018

I’m afraid we ran out of time at the meeting but one of the things I wanted to draw people’s attention to is the link on the EACC’s website to Alcohol Focus Scotland’s toolkit –

Go to http://www.edinburghcommunitycouncils.org.uk/index.php/licensing

And click on the link on the RH side of the page.

I think a lot of Community Councillors would benefit from familiarising themselves with this very useful resource.

I can assure you that, as a member of the Licensing Forum, I shall do all I can to encourage the Licensing Board to recognise the inadequacy of the Licensing section of the City Council’s website and the need to provide more information on both current and applied for licences.

Realistically, though, don’t hold your breath waiting for a useful response!