News / No on-street drinking after police concerns
A LERWICK restaurant and bar has withdrawn plans to let customers sit and drink alcohol on Commercial Street after concerns were raised by the police.
Police representative Douglas Livitt told Monday’s meeting of Shetland Islands Council’s licensing board that allowing people to sit outside Monterey Jack’s on the town’s Commercial Street and drink could give rise to safety and noise issues.
The town centre establishment, which opened earlier this year, had requested to have its two tables on the street, which allows vehicle access, licensed for alcohol.
However, Livitt said the police force had a number of concerns because when “people have been drinking, they don’t always see sense”.
He said the section of road is “pretty tight” and suggested it would be like a “pub on a public road”.
Livitt added that officers went down to the street on Sunday evening with cones and a vehicle to gauge for themselves what the spacing would be like.
“Cars and drunk people do not mix,” he said, adding that if a driver got a manoeuvre wrong then it would “not be good”.
Livitt added that while those living on the street are used to revellers walking between pubs or going home, a sustained level of noise could draw complaints.
He also said that he was worried that Lerwick’s alcohol by-law prohibiting the drinking of alcohol on the streets might be flouted by punters quickly moving in and out of the tables area, which would have to have been clearly marked.
While it was noted that particular road issues would have to be dealt with by the council’s road service, Monterey Jack’s manager Richard Fergie decided it would not be worth the “hassle” to continue with the outdoor drinking plans and withdrew the proposal.
Prior to Monday’s meeting in Lerwick, the franchise also withdrew a previously submitted request to deliver off-sales alcohol.
The board passed a request to extend on-sales hours from midnight to 1am seven days a week and gave the green light for live acoustic music to take place in the upstairs bar area.
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