Moray Distilleries To Pay Top Rate For Alcohol Licences

[John]

The owners of two distilleries in Moray face paying the top rate for their alcohol licences because of staff buying whisky from visitor centre shops.

Moray Licensing Board members yesterday voted four to three against exempting Glen Grant and Macallan from paying the annual fee of £810 which supermarkets pay.

They had fought to pay the basic licence rate of £200 which is payable by smaller premises such as visitor attractions, clubs and bed and breakfasts.

The distilleries were made to pay the top amount because of the size of their premises, but disputed it because they do not sell large amounts of drink there.

Smaller venues are allowed to sell alcohol on the basis that it is not consumed on the premises, and any other activity involving the sale of drink on the site is "incidental"? and not part of the main business.

Other distilleries in Moray which do not have a visitor centre, including Tomintoul, have to pay the full amount for a licence because they have a staff shop.

Keith councillor Stewart Cree was initially in support of preventing the distilleries from paying the highest rates until he realised on a site visit that staff were putting orders in for bottles. He told the meeting: "Much as I support the whole concept of visitor centres and agree we should be supporting the industry, I am having great difficulty now.

"I find it difficult to believe that any sale to staff is incidental. If you are working there you are simply going to buy drink there because you get it at a reduced price."?

He said it was with "much regret"? that he objected to the exemption, but he told the committee: "I think we have to be fair to all licence holders."?

Three other councillors took the same view, although there was strong support for the industry locally.

Fochabers and Lhanbryde councillor Douglas Ross said it was important that the board "does everything it can"? to protect the economy of the whisky industry in Moray.

Annual fees, due in October, are currently set at £810 but this could be raised to £900 in the future to match neighbouring Highland Council's fees.

Neil Ross, a solicitor with Grigor and Young in Elgin who specialise in licensing matters, argued for the distilleries that their main function was as visitor attractions, and he said: "There can't be that great a number of staff. The shop is not there for staff sales."?

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Ross said he would be taking up the matter of "unfair"? licensee fees with local MSP Richard Lochhead.

John

Source: Pres & Journal