Scottish pub granted 9am licence ‘to allow travelling workers early pints'
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A SCOTTISH pub is set to start serving alcohol as early as 9am after arguing that it would allow travelling workers to have an early pint.
Bosses of Spider's Web in Dyce, Aberdeen, lodged a bid to the local council to have its licensed hours brought back by an hour.
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Spider's Web in Dyce will now serve alcohol an hour earlier
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The boozer is located on Station Road, just meters away from Dyce Railway Station.
And it is often frequented by oil and gas offshore workers who arrive back in the city after lengthy trips away.
The early visits from the offshore workers prompted owner Mark Milne to apply for the licensing change.
He explained that it would let the pub serve them alcohol after a long, tiring journey that gets them home early in the morning.
At a recent meeting, licensing consultant David Scott urged the board to give the changes the green light.
According to STV News, he said it was 'for the benefit of the oil and gas industry and the city'.
Time has a different meaning to these workers, this is a unique situation serving a very specific set of circumstances
David Scott
And he argued that the beloved pub is a 'stop-off point' where workers go to "debrief for a pint or two' while waiting on their trains, buses or lifts back home.
Scott said: "I fully appreciate that the idea of a 9am start for having a drink seems entirely unnecessary, but that is not the situation we are dealing with here.
'These workers are coming off rigs – they've already been up for hours and may work a nightshift before they arrive in Aberdeen.
'Time has a different meaning to these workers, this is a unique situation serving a very specific set of circumstances.
I went to the UK's biggest Wetherspoons with rooftop bar overlooking the beach
'The location means it's the only and last opportunity that many workers get time to debrief.
'People open up after a pint – concerns can be raised, conversations take place that wouldn't be possible in the offshore environment, problems are solved and friendships are made.'
Milne also appealed to the planning committee and urged them to allow him to change his operating plan.
At the moment, children and young people are not allowed into the public bar in Spider's Web.
I fully appreciate that the idea of a 9am start for having a drink seems entirely unnecessary, but that is not the situation we are dealing with here
David Scott
But Milne, who has run the boozer for 35 years, said that this has often left customers, who want somewhere to go while on a train, frustrated.
As a result, he has asked councillors to allow kids and youngsters into the pub, stressing that it would only be when they are accompanied by an adult at all times.
He added that it would let them carry out innocent tasks like playing at the pub's pool table, which is located close to the bar.
He said: 'I'm not a fan of kids in the public bar, but occasionally folk waiting for a train say, 'Can I take my son through for a quick game of pool?'.
'You feel bad saying 'No, you can't'. Folk might think we are unreasonable, but that's the rules.'
'I know the reason we are saying no, but the public thinks we are being heavy-handed.'
However, some licensing standards officers initially pushed back against the changes.
They explained that the 9am opening time would go against policy and also stated that they had a problem with allowing young children inside.
LATE LICENSE
SPIDER'S Web isn't the only bar that has applied to change its licensing hours.
In May last year, over 50 venues in Glasgow submitted applications to stay open later under a new pilot scheme.
The new one-year scheme allows boozers to stay open for an extra hour to trial 1am licenses.
According to BBC Scotland News, Glasgow Licensing Board approved 54 applications, and the new closing times were introduced with immediate effect.
It also meant that the operating times match those in Edinburgh which already allows bars to stay open until 1am.
SNP councillors first pushed for the pilot scheme back in November 2023 in a bid to boost the late-night economy in Glasgow.
Bailie Thomas Kerr, who chairs the Glasgow Licensing Board, told BBC Scotland News there was "considerable support" for 1am closing times.
He said: 'Glasgow city centre is a great place for a night out and we want to ensure people who come to enjoy the centre have the best possible experience.
"We think the 01:00 pilot can improve public safety in the city centre and that's something we will be looking at very closely with our partners following the conclusion of the 12-month trial period.'
But others argued that the pool table would be supervised by staff and is actually tucked away by a partition wall, meaning it wouldn't be close to the actual bar.
To compromise, councillor Neil Copland suggested that Spider's Web would open at 9am every day except a Sunday, when it would open at 10am.
And he said that youngsters could be allowed inside the bar and use the pool table up until 8pm .
Councillor Marie Boulton agreed with the suggestions, but stressed it was only because of the 'unique circumstances' surrounding the bar.
She added: 'Offshore workers will not be hanging about all day, it's only for a short period.
'I wouldn't want there to be a feeling that we are trying to encourage longer drinking.'
The board unanimously agreed on the proposal and approved the request.
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