Scotland - Highland Board - Off Sales ban - one week to go

The Highland Licensing Board at its Board meeting earlier this month agreed to introduce a new region-wide policy to control sales of alcohol. 

The new licensing policy statement which will come into effect on 1 December 2013 has adopted a presumption against granting off sales licences for large displays which exceed 40 sq m (430 sq ft). This will no doubt set supermarkets, which already have plans to build new stores or have land set aside for the development of new stores, on a collision course with the Board.

At present, the Board area contains operators including Tesco, Asda, Morrison and the Co-op, which operate with stores with shelves of up to 400 sq m set aside for the display of alcohol.

The Board held a public consultation on a number of options for the new policy and the decision made follows evidence presented to the Board highlighting the damaging effects of alcohol abuse. The Board refused to back Police Scotland who had favoured discouraging further off-sales provision in 25 areas identified by NHS Highland as having the greatest incidence of alcohol-related harm.

In statistics produced to the Licensing Board, the Health Board stated 40.5% of the Highland population exceed daily and/or weekly drinking limits with it being alleged that 11,400 men and 4,640 women in the Health Board's area were alcohol dependent. NHS Highland said the cost of dealing with the harm caused by drink was £85m in 2010-11.