Edinburgh Council has scrapped controversial plans to limit the number of standing customers, or vertical drinkers, in the city’s pubs after the leader of the council called the plans “utterly ridiculous”.
The proposals were outlined in a review of licensing policy in the city that advocated cutting weekday opening hours for pubs back from 1am to midnight as well as forcing bars to provide seats for at least half of customers.
Council leader Jenny Dawe told the Edinburgh Evening News that the proposals were “utterly ridiculous” and they would be “completely rejected” by the ruling Liberal Democrat and Scottish National Party (SNP) council.
The proposals were put forward by Liberal Democrat councillor and licensing leader Marjorie Thomas in the belief that there was a direct correlation between standing with a drink and alcohol-fuelled violence.
Patrick Browne, chief executive of the Scottish Beer and Pub Association, said: “This climb down, if it happens, will be a very welcome one. The idea was nonsensical and seemed to have been thought up on the back of the proverbial beer mat.”
He added that there were other Licensing Boards in Scotland considering the same vertical drinking proposals as Edinburgh and he would be pressing them to amend their policies.
Perth and Kinross Council has already outlined plans, as part of an evaluation of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 – set to be introduced in 2009 - that would see large pubs provide seating for at least a quarter of patrons.
Read the Edinburgh Evening News report in full >>
Council blames vertical drinking for alcohol-fuelled trouble >>
Scottish publicans slam licence price rise plans >>
By Christopher Walton
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