THE owner of one of the largest visitor attractions in the Stewartry has decided against renewing his business’s alcohol licence, saying the new legislation is “an absolute farce.”
Brian Thomson, who owns Tongland Family Golf Centre, which attracts thousands of locals and visitors each year, says he and his wife have decided it is not worth renewing their licence.
Brian said: “To renew our licence would cost £800 plus another £200 a year. Our turnover from alcohol sales is such that it’s simply not worth it.”
Chris Walker, of the Selkirk Hotel in Kirkcudbright, has presented a petition urging the Scottish government to revise its new licensing regulations. He has been called to give evidence at the petitions committees hearing next week.
Chris has gathered over 3,000 signatures from licensed premises, facing up to 400 per cent increase in licensing fees and additional costs of plans, training and alterations to existing layouts.
Chris told the ‘News’: “Several scenarios led to my petition. Firstly, a caravan park, complete with small shop and glass-fronted fridge stocking two or three wines and half a dozen types of beer, is forced to re-apply for the liquor licence at a cost of £1,040, 604 per cent more than the current £172. The annual fee will be £500, a 290 per cent rise. The reason is that the fees are now based on rateable value.
“The second scenario is that of a small deli selling hams, cheese, breads, olives and other delicatessen along with the odd bottle of sloe gin and locally brewed real ale. It will have a joining fee of £880 followed by an annual fee of £280.
“The third example is that of a hotel, rateable value in category five, that faces an application fee of £1360 and an annual fee of £700. These are costs some businesses are not prepared to bear and across the south of Scotland we have seen applications for off-sales down by a third.”
Mr Walker believes it would be fairer to base the fee structure on turnover specifically related to alcohol sales.
Although Brian Thomson’s alcohol sales turnover was not large, it did provide a valuable service to visitors. He said: “The new legislation is an absolute farce. With its requirements for a refusal policy and a policy for handling drunks, it’s aimed at nightclubs but hitting family businesses instead.
“This means we will no longer be providing a service to visitors, who liked to try out the local beer. If anyone bought a bottle of Sulwath beer, we gave them a leaflet about the brewery in Castle Douglas, which always sparked up a conversation. The knock-on effect is likely to hit the brewery.”
Two months ago the ‘News’ reported that Sulwath Brewery was already feeling the effects of the new licensing legislation as many tourist-based customers had decided not to renew their licences.
Chris Walker continued: “The Scottish government say they’re are committed to a 50 per cent increase in tourism by 2015. Maybe so in Edinburgh and Glasgow, but there isn’t a hope in hell of that sort of increase here as small tourist businesses are forced out of business by red tape and endless bureaucracy.
“Here in the rural south of Scotland we’re getting kicked again. We don’t have city centre volume, we can’t take these increases on the chin. I have had dozens of licensees contact me and the fact that we have collectively gathered 3,000 signatures speaks volumes.”
