Children as young as 12 could be allowed to visit selected pubs and restaurants without an adult under proposals being considered in Edinburgh. Hospitality company Signature Pubs Limited has applied for permission to allow children aged 12 to 15 to enter three venues unaccompanied to buy food, snacks and soft drinks.
Proposed rules for young visitors
The plans would permit youngsters to visit in groups of up to six, with a maximum of 21 children allowed across the premises. The venues named in the application are McClarens on the Corner in Morningside, Cold Town House in the Grassmarket and The Fountain on Dundee Street.
Under the proposals, children aged 12 to 15 could visit without a parent or guardian until 8pm, provided they showed proof of age using a valid Young Scot Card or passport. They would also be restricted to face-to-face table service.
Licensing board questions
The application was discussed at an Edinburgh licensing board meeting on Monday, where councillors raised questions about how staff would respond if groups of teenagers became disruptive. One concern centred on what employees would do if youngsters began behaving in a “feral way”.
A representative for Signature Pubs said children would be treated like any other customers and asked to leave if their behaviour became unacceptable. Caroline Loudon, a licensing solicitor representing the company, defended the proposals, describing the venues as family-friendly establishments with trained staff.
“These are family friendly venues with well-trained staff,” she said. “It offers an accessible space for children to start going out without parents or guardians but with the checks and balances you'd want for your own family.”
Demand for teenage social spaces
Ms Loudon told the meeting that demand existed for places where teenagers could socialise after school without needing an adult present. She also explained that coffee shops often close at around 6pm, leaving teenagers with fewer options for spending time together in the early evening.
She said young people could instead gravitate towards busy areas such as Lothian Road and St James Quarter. The solicitor added that her own daughter was a similar age and struggled to find suitable local venues where she could go independently.
A representative for Signature Pubs said the intention was for children to visit for food or a non-alcoholic drink rather than to participate in the venues’ alcohol trade. “The restriction is for the children to come in for the purposes of a meal or a hot chocolate after school,” the representative said.
Further proposals and next steps
The company is also seeking permission for children under 12 to enter the venues when accompanied by an adult. Under that proposal, under-12s would be permitted until 11pm, or until 1am when attending a private function.
Councillors also questioned whether the establishments were more alcohol-focused than conventional fast-food restaurants. Ms Loudon disputed the description of some of the venues as pubs, arguing that they were closer to restaurants that also served alcohol.
The licensing board has not yet made a decision on the application. Consideration was paused until the next meeting to allow councillors to visit the premises and assess the proposals. If approved, the plans would give children aged 12 to 15 access to the three venues without adult supervision during restricted hours, subject to the conditions set by the licensing board.
