August
In a bid to reduce night-time disorder, Aberdeen Licensing Board imposed a trial curfew which will prevent entry to nightclubs after 2am. Is it necessary or desirable?
 While the decision of the licensing board is not ideal it is a considerably better option than the previously mooted 12.30 curfew. As a business we don’t normally allow entry after 2am as those looking for nightclub entry this late tend to be intoxicated thus the direct impact on Tiger Tiger should be minimal. Most affected might be bar workers whose traditional after work drink may now be scuppered by the curfew.
The majority of responsible traders will want to support any action which helps customers safely enjoy the great nightlife offered in the city. However we need to be careful not to adversely affect night trade business and the potential knock-on impact on day trade, particularly in these economically challenging times. We support the decision of the Board and will review the curfew and its effects at the end of the trial period and reserve judgment on the policy until then. Richard Corrigan Sales Manager, Tiger Tiger
The original curfew time was going to be 12.30 but we have decided on 2am which I think is a reasonable compromise. It does not affect bars and means bars’ staff can still go to clubs when they finish. I and other members of the Board regularly go out with plainclothes police from midnight until 4am to see for ourselves what the city centre is like. I have only seen one very minor incident. The city centre situation was completely misrepresented in a television documentary which was screened the night before the Board meeting at which the late night position was discussed. The programme gave the impression that all the trouble it showed was on one night when, in fact, it had been filmed over many months.
The curfew is only on a Friday and Saturday and for a six months trial and our only aim is to make Aberdeen city centre a safer place.
Muriel Jaffray, Convener, Aberdeen Licensing Board
It would be great if licensing chiefs and licensees could combine their energy to work together to tackle the problem in unison. We will certainly watch the trial period with interest . We realise there is problem and most of us would agree it is a cultural one where there is an inexplicable desire for the young and not so young to imbibe alcohol to a point where they lose control and either put themselves or others at risk. While it is a slow process, education and awareness is probably the most promising way ahead. I say ‘probably’ because it is an area that needs to be more innovative and hard hitting, although we are getting there. It also important to remember that most people drink responsibly and just enjoy themselves.
Doug Duthie, Chief Executive, Aberdeen Safer Community Trust Ltd
If the purpose of the restriction is to improve the image of the city and restore law and order I applaud it. However, in isolation I don’t think it will work. The ultimate answer is to make the city more attractive to more sections of the community. A higher proportion of tourists, late night shoppers and diners in the late night throng will have a positive effect on people’s behaviour. I have to decided to grab the bull by the horns and create a cultural quarter at the city’s gateway. This will take in Guild Street, Market Street, The Green and the Harbour. In my view the answer to late night disorder is to create a more diverse offer and make Aberdeen a fantastic tourist destination.
Jonathan Day, owner of Soprano Hotels and The Rich Minds Consultancy
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The idea arose following a letter some time ago from Aberdeen taxi drivers.
I think the city needs to take a different approach if it is to address the reduction in tourists to the city – particularly at weekends. Tourism will not increase unless the city can project a positive image of itself. That requires a more diverse food and drink offer and substantial improvements to the city’s street infrastructure, particularly at the gateway to the city around Guild Street and Bridge Street. Has no one grasped that this is the first impression of the city that visitors see when they arrive by coach, train or boat?