Item 7 - The Waterhouse Inn - Application for Extended Hours - LSO Report
West Dunbartonshire Council · 3 March 2026
Back to Licensing Board — 3 March 2026 and its agenda
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Licensing Standards Officers Report LICENSING (SCOTLAND) ACT 2005 “the 2005 Act” EXTENDED HOURS APPLICATION PREMISES: The Waterhouse Inn, 34 Balloch Road, Balloch, G83 8LE PREMISES LICENCE HOLDER: Helena Jane Geoghan The applicants are requesting a trial of earlier openings hours from 6 April 2026 to 15 June 2026 for the premises licence in advance of the Board considering a variation for the same at the Board’s meeting on 16 June 2026. The applicants are requesting a 10am commencement hour rather than the current 11am for the purposes of tourism and funeral events. The Board may wish to consider the following paragraphs within their Statement of Licensing Policy; 35. Early Opening 35.1 Where any on-sales type premises wish to open before 11 a.m., the applicant will be required to justify the need for early opening. The applicant will be expected to demonstrate that sufficient measures will be in place to promote the licensing objectives. The Licensing Board – notwithstanding that each application will be considered on its own merits – is of the view that it will be difficult for an applicant to justify a commencement hour prior to 11am outwith the context set out in paragraph 32.3; 32.3 The Licensing Board recognises that earlier opening hour from 10am may also be appropriate for certain types of premises, for example, bowling clubs during the bowling season and also for events such as funerals. The earlier hour must be linked to the activity taking place on the premises. If the Licensing Board grants a licence which permits premises to be open prior to 11 a.m. for the purposes of funerals, it will impose a condition that on each occasion when it is intended that alcohol will be sold on the premises before 11 a.m. in connection with a funeral, 24 hours’ notice must be given to the Office of the Clerk to the Licensing Board and the Local Police Authority. 32.2 For applications relating to premises licences where the consumption of alcohol is a main activity and significant entertainment facilities throughout the licensing hours are not provided (on-sale hours), subject to paragraph 32.4, the Licensing Board considers that the commencement of the sale of alcohol shall ordinarily be:- no earlier than 11 a.m.; and no later than 12 midnight Sunday to Thursday and 1a.m. Friday and Saturday other than when an occasional extension is in place, and in accordance with paragraph 34 of this policy. The Licensing Board will recognise the importance of tourism in certain locations within the Licensing Board’s area and other determining factors such as the location of the licensed premises and may allow exceptions to this general rule.
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Due to the suitable location and management of the premises I have no concerns for the Licensing Objectives with what the applicants propose and believe it will provide a useful trial in advance of a decision on a variation to the Premises Licence. Lawrence Knighton Licensing Standards Officer Date: 3 February 2026 Contact : Lawrence Knighton, Licensing Standards Officer, Regeneration & Regulatory Services, Council Offices, 16 Church Street, Dumbarton. G81 1TG. E-mail : lawrence.knighton@west-dunbarton.gov.uk