The Aberdeenshire Licensing Board met on Wednesday, 29 April 2026, to consider a range of applications for premises and occasional licences. The Board granted several applications for premises licences and major variations, including those for Tesco stores across Aberdeenshire, Bridge of Dye Steading, Twistillery Ltd, Bridge Bar, The New Inn Hotel, and the Central Filling Station in Turriff. A hearing was held regarding a major variation application for Tesco in Fraserburgh, which was granted despite concerns about overprovision in the area. The Board also considered an application for a major variation for Tesco in Inverurie, which was granted, and a request for an extension to the closure of The Vale Hotel in Fyvie, which was ultimately refused, leading to the licence ceasing to have effect. Finally, the Board heard an application for a personal licence for Olivia Smith, which was granted, and considered repeated occasional licence applications for Craig Ewan House in Rathen, Fraserburgh, which were also granted.

Premises Licences and Major Variations Granted

The Board considered numerous applications for premises licences and major variations, all of which were granted. These included:

• Bridge of Dye Steading, Strachan, Banchory: Granted a premises licence for off-sales only, trading six days a week from 10:00 to 22:00, with online sales available for guests.
• Twistillery Ltd, Cairnlea of Melrose, Gamrie: Granted a provisional premises licence, allowing trading from Sunday to Friday, 10:00 to 22:00, and Saturdays from 10:00 to 15:00. This licence is granted in principle, subject to the agreement of amended documents by the Licensing Standards Officer.
• Tesco Stores Limited: Six major variation applications for various Tesco stores across Aberdeenshire were granted. These applications generally involved amendments to operating plans, variations to alcohol display capacity (some increases and some decreases), and updates to layout plans and premises descriptions following refurbishments. The stores included:
  • Tesco Stores Limited, Tesco House, Welwyn Garden City (for Tesco Store, Castle Road, Ellon)
  • Tesco Stores Limited, Tesco House, Welwyn Garden City (for Tesco Store, Endeavour Drive, Westhill)
  • Tesco Stores Limited, Tesco House, Welwyn Garden City (for Tesco Store, Deveron Road, Huntly)
  • Tesco Stores Limited, Tesco House, Welwyn Garden City (for Tesco Store, Cairnhill Road, Newtonhill)
  • Tesco Stores Limited, Tesco House, Welwyn Garden City (for Tesco Store, Unit 17, Hill of Banchory)
  • Tesco Stores Limited, Tesco House, Welwyn Garden City (for Tesco Express, Kirkton Petrol Station, Stonehaven)
• Bridge Bar, Ellon: Granted a major variation to add indoor and outdoor sports as an activity during core hours and to amend layout plans to reflect the addition of a pool table.
• The New Inn Hotel, Aberchirder: Granted a major variation in principle to add outdoor drinking to the operating plan, update information on activities within and outwith core hours, add service accommodation, and amend access for children and young persons. This is subject to the agreement of the revised operating plan by the Licensing Standards Officer.
• Central Filling Station, Fife Street, Turriff: Granted a major variation to extend core hours to 22:00 seven days a week, add recorded music as an activity, and include food to go and parcel collection services, alongside a slight reduction in alcohol capacity.

Hearing for Tesco, Fraserburgh: Major Variation Application

A hearing was held for Tesco Superstore in Fraserburgh concerning a major variation application. The application sought to increase the alcohol capacity from 254.182m² to 254.574m². The application was brought before the Board due to Fraserburgh being identified as an area of overprovision in the Board's policy, creating a rebuttable presumption against granting increases in alcohol capacity for off-sale premises.

Ms. Poorval, representing Tesco, explained that the slight increase in capacity was due to a more accurate re-measurement of the existing alcohol display area and not an increase in shelving. She confirmed that no additional alcohol would be displayed. The Board noted that the application was essentially a technicality based on measurement.

The Licensing Standards Officer, Sarah Ward, confirmed that the application was being considered due to the overprovision policy in Fraserburgh. She noted that the proposed increase was slight and recommended granting the application, subject to agreed local conditions.

The Board debated the application and ultimately granted it, agreeing to a departure from the overprovision policy. They also agreed to dispense with condition 45 relating to bylaws prohibiting the consumption of alcohol in designated places, as it was deemed not applicable to off-sales only premises.

Hearing for Tesco Extra, Harlaw Road, Inverurie: Major Variation Application

A hearing was held for Tesco Extra in Inverurie concerning a major variation application. While Inverurie is not currently an area of overprovision, the Board maintains a watching brief on premises with existing alcohol display capacities above the Aberdeenshire average of 34.4m² that seek to increase this capacity.

Ms. Poorval, representing Tesco, explained the proposed changes included adding capacity for soft drinks at seasonal times like Christmas and Easter, and the removal of a ladder rack to be replaced by a stack for easier product handling. She clarified that the changes were primarily for operational efficiency and to support seasonal demand, not to significantly increase alcohol sales.

Kevin MacDonald, Licensing Standards Officer, confirmed that Lisa Godini had lodged a representation regarding the watching brief on overprovision. He noted that no concerns or objections were raised regarding the application itself, but highlighted an error in the operating plan regarding the manager's name, which was subsequently corrected.

The Board discussed the application, noting that the increase in capacity was slight and did not negatively impact the overprovision statistics for Inverurie. They agreed to grant the application, subject to standard local conditions and the correction of the error in the operating plan.

Hearing for The Vale Hotel, Fyvie: Request for Extension to Closure

A hearing was held regarding a request for an extension to the closure of The Vale Hotel in Fyvie. The premises had been closed for the sale of alcohol since November 2024, exceeding the Board's policy of four months for closure without a licence ceasing to have effect.

Mr. Roderick Blacklaws, the licence holder, explained that the sale of the hotel was being held up by the buyer's solicitor and that he was in a catch-22 situation. He stated that the buyer intended to refurbish the premises, making it pointless for Mr. Blacklaws to undertake any work himself. He reiterated that the buyer still wished to proceed with the sale.

Fiona Stewart, the Deputy Clerk, advised the Board that the sale agreement was a civil matter and that a purchaser could apply for a new licence after refurbishment. She noted that the premises had already been closed for 17 months, well beyond the policy's four-month limit.

The Board debated the matter, with some members expressing sympathy for Mr. Blacklaws' situation but also highlighting the significant time that had passed and the lack of progress. Ultimately, a motion was put forward and seconded that the licence had ceased to have effect under Section 28 of the Act due to the premises not being used for the sale of alcohol for approximately 17 months. An amendment was proposed to grant one further extension until the August board meeting. After a vote, the amendment was carried, granting a further extension until the August board meeting, with the matter to be considered by the Board Convenor.

Application for Grant of Personal Licence: Olivia Smith

A hearing was held for Olivia Smith's application for a personal licence. Police Scotland confirmed a relevant conviction for the supply of a controlled drug (cocaine) in August 2021, for which Ms. Smith received a restriction of liberty order, a community payback order, and a confiscation order.

Ms. Smith addressed the Board, expressing remorse for her mistake and stating that she had turned her life around. She presented evidence of positive changes, including regaining custody of her children and starting a small catering business. She stated that she had struggled to find work due to her conviction and that a personal licence would enable her to continue her career in the licensed trade.

PC James Stewart confirmed the conviction details but stated that Police Scotland was not making a recommendation for refusal. Board members questioned Ms. Smith about her adherence to her sentence and her steps to prevent repetition. They were satisfied with her responses and the steps she had taken to reform her life.

The Board unanimously agreed to grant the personal licence, deeming Ms. Smith to be a fit and proper person.

Applications for Occasional Licence: Craig Ewan House, Rathen, Fraserburgh

David Smith applied for three back-to-back occasional licences for Craig Ewan House, Rathen, Fraserburgh, for online sales. These applications were brought before the Board due to the repeated nature of the requests, which had reached the threshold outlined in the Board's policy.

Mr. Smith explained that he had lodged a provisional premises licence application in January and was seeking occasional licences to allow trading until his full premises licence application could be heard. He stated that he had not yet sold any alcohol and was aiming to get the business rolling in a structured way.

Sarah Ward, the Licensing Standards Officer, confirmed that the applications were before the Board due to the repeated occasional licensing policy. She noted that Mr. Smith had been cooperative and was moving in the direction the Board desired. She recommended attaching standard local conditions to the licences.

The Board confirmed they had sufficient evidence and agreed to grant the occasional licences for the specified dates. They also agreed to delegate any future applications for occasional licences to the Deputy Clerk, in consultation with the Chair, provided Mr. Smith's provisional premises licence application continued to progress.

Date of Next Board Meeting

The Board noted that the date of the next meeting was scheduled for 24th June 2026.