Orkney’s only nightclub has had its licence to sell alcohol revoked after the owners failed to pay their annual fees.
The Orkney islands area licensing board met this morning to review the licence held by the Kirkwall nightclub’s owners, The Light Fantastic Ltd.
With three reminders having been issued and continued non-contact with the licensing authority, board members were evenly split over whether to suspend the licence or revoke it.
The nightclub, on Ayre Road, was asked to pay the £500 fee in August last year for a licence covering October 2020 to September 2021. Fusion has held a licence since September 2001.
Proposing revocation, board member Sandy Cowie on the option to suspend the license said: “I fear we’re going to be in the same situation we’re in today. We’ll still be looking for payment.
“I think, with the situation we’re in and given the complete lack of communication from the licence holders, we should go for revocation and draw a line under this.”
Multiple attempts made to remind Orkney nightclub operator of overdue fee
Board member Owen Tierney, who spoke in favour of revoking but changed his mind later, mentioned a conversation the nightclub’s operators had with the licensing standards officer, where they indicated “that they might not open at all.”
Mr Tierney said: “The actual function of that building purely depends on social life going back to how it was. Right now, with number of cases, the idea that that’s going to happen is so up in the air, I’m sure the folk wish they didn’t have the place at all.
“If we suspend it for two months, in two months time it’ll just be the same. We could go on doing this forever. There’s so much uncertainty around whether and when it might come back into function.
“Sadly, revoking seems like the most logical thing to do.”
However, Barbara Foulkes pushed for suspension.
She said it would give the operator the best opportunity of restarting the business if things change.
Steven Heddle also said it wasn’t the place of the board members to “second guess the circumstances of the business”.
He said the board should be keen to support local businesses in any way they can.
Revoking licence would send a message to uphold standards, says board member
Mr Cowie replied to these points: “I have sympathy for local businesses. But the fact is the licence holder has had ample opportunity to make some attempt to resolve the situation.”
He said revoking the Orkney nightclub’s licence would send out a useful message that the board has standards to uphold and expects cooperation from licence holders.
He added: “I’m sorry if I sound brutal. I see no point in perpetuating a situation that’s simply is not going to be addressed by the licence holder.”
With an even split among the board members, the decision came down to chairman Duncan Tullock.
The chairman stuck by his previous vote to revoke.