Inverness pub The Gellions calls time on late licence bid

The Gellions pub in Inverness has withdrawn an application to extend its opening hours amid a noise dispute with neighbours.

The Gellions had wanted to keep its doors open until 3am from Thursdays to Saturdays, but faced objections from a neighbour who said noise from a recent event in an upstairs room "shook the building" and wanted any extension to be granted solely for the downstairs bar.

At a meeting of Highland Council's licensing committee on Tuesday, Nial Hassard, a solicitor acting for the pub, asked for the application to be reconsidered in May, to allow time to resolve some issues.

Officers praised The Gellions for a sincere attempt to engage with neighbours but councillors decided the "cleanest" way to resolve the matter would be to decide the application as it stood or for it to be withdrawn.

Deciding to withdraw Mr Hassard said: “Progress has been made and it is hoped we are on the cusp of a resolution about the use of the upstairs part of the venue for live music and it is very much the applicant’s preference that everything that can be done is done to resolve the complaints.

“I don’t see there being any great prejudice to any party if there is a continuation.”

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