New structure for Grangemouth rugby club to use outdoor area for drinks

Falkirk Council’s licensing board agreed on Wednesday that Grangemouth Stags Rugby Football Club could make changes that will allow it to use an outdoor area for drinking, sell alcohol to take away and change the hours that young people and children can be on the premises.

However, they were reassured that in essence the club on Glensburgh Road would remain the same and the change was a technical one that reflected the size of the club and the range of facilities it offers.

Members heard that the community club is now set up as a charitable based limited company which owns and runs the facilities alongside a trading arm that takes care of running the bar.

Dominic Ward, who is the designated premises manager, told members that the club was now much larger than it had been in 2005, when it first applied for a licence under the newly enacted Licensing Scotland Act.

He said: “We’ve now got a much larger premises, a much larger factor of liabilities for us as an organisation and it was felt that the use of a members club structure wasn’t sufficient to protect members from any claims from users.”

But although the club can now operate in the same way as any other hotel, restaurant or pub, there’s no intention for this to happen.

While the club can offer off-sales, Mr Ward said they were asking for this in case there was another lockdown in the future so they could continue to trade.

And while there have been changes to children’s and young persons’ access, members heard that this would still be very strictly controlled.

Board convener Councillor Niall Coleman said that when a premises moved from being a members’ club to running as a licensed premises, the board would always be cautious.

However, he added: “Having said all that you’ve gone through some intentionally robust questioning and come out very well, so I am satisfied and move to grant your application.”

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