A councillor’s call to review Aberdeen’s seven-year-old drinking bye-law was narrowly defeated at the Town House yesterday.
SNP member David Cameron made the plea for the authority to review the rules which prohibit people drinking alcohol in public spaces.
The Kingswells, Sheddocksley and Summerhill member said that people “drinking two litre bottles of cider on Union Street benches” was “a thing of the past”, adding that a review of the law would be helpful.
The city council applied to the Scottish Government for the law in 2009, but have voted to relax it numerous times since, most recently at this year’s Christmas village on Union Terrace.
Speaking at the finance committee yesterday, Mr Cameron said: “For the last four or five years, we have been trying to create a café culture in the city.
“You go to any European city and you’ll find drinking in public is quite acceptable.”
He added that he was not necessarily in favour of changing the law, but was calling for a review to examine how effective it was.
He was backed by Liberal Democrat Ian Yuill who added: “A review doesn’t mean we have to weaken the law, we could end up strengthening it.”
However, committee convener Willie Young branded the plan “complete madness”.
He said: “If it was the police or the licensed trade calling for this review, then I’d be more likely to take it seriously.
“I would hope members reflect upon that.”
He added: “To me, the byelaw has been a success, so why would you want to change it?”
The motion was defeated by nine votes to eight.
A review of the law is due in 2019.