Council chiefs face a choice between harming the city’s economy or damaging public health, according to responses to a survey on proposed restrictions on alcohol sales in Dundee.
Retailers said the suggested over-provision policy would show Dundee is “closed for business”, while health bodies have warned the city has some of the worst rates of alcohol misuse in Scotland.
A consultation report on the move will be heard by the council’s licensing board on Thursday.
Members will be urged to adopt a policy to apply to off-sales and public house premises.
The licensing board does not currently have an over-provision policy, following a court dispute with the supermarket firm Aldi in August 2016.
A sheriff tasked with overseeing the case decided the council had not properly consulted on areas of over-provision.
A majority of the 23 responses to the new consultation, compiled by the Dundee Alcohol and Drug partnership (ADP), support the belief there are too many premises selling alcohol in the city.
At present, Dundee has 143 on-sales licensed premises, 129 off-sales and 166 on and off-sales – a total of 438 places where alcohol can be purchased.
However, Aldi said it was “concerned”an over-provision policy could restrict its planned investment in Dundee.
The Scottish Grocers’ Federation said the move risked sending a message that Dundee was “closed for business”, while the Scottish Beer and Pub Association warned the policy could undermine the council’s ambitions to be an “international city”.
The Dundee ADP argues that people are spending more money on alcohol from off-sales premises, such as supermarkets, and that there is greater potential for alcohol-related-harm than from the likes of pubs and bars.
Dr Emma Fletcher, a consultant for public health medicine at NHS Tayside, echoed the partnership’s concerns.
In her response, she said: “Increasing price, reducing availability and controlling the marketing of alcohol are the most effective and cost-effective measures to prevent and reduce alcohol related harm.
“The setting of a robust over-provision policy will enable the licensing board to take an effective strategic approach…with the resulting impact of reducing crime and disorder, protecting children from harm, reducing health inequalities and improving public health.”
Dr Fletcher highlights that alcohol-related harm costs Dundee City Council approximately £72 million.
Sandy Kingston, convener of the Dundee Licensing Forum, warned “store-to-door” deliveries of alcohol purchased online were being used to circumvent the council’s best intentions and the ease of online ordering meant off-sales for under-25s were not being dutifully monitored.
The full report and responses are available to view on the council website.
