Published
Wed, Jun 10, 2015, 14:13
- The Glasgow venue's directors say they were "left with no other choice" after its late licence was revoked.
Glasgow venue The Arches is entering administration.
The decision was taken after a meeting of the board of directors on Wednesday, June 10th. A statement says the venue sought legal advice after its 3 AM licence was revoked by the Glasgow Licensing Board. An online petition launched to reinstate the late licence has nearly 40,000 signatures.
Gordon Kennedy, the chairman of The Arches' board of directors, said: "The Board has taken professional advice and is left with no other choice than to begin the process of appointing administrators for both The Arches Theatre Ltd and Arches Retail Ltd. This decision has been taken with deep regret as it will have a major impact on our staff, business partners, customers, and on Glasgow’s reputation for night time economy."
Kennedy added: "Our hope is that the administrators, working with partners and stakeholders, can salvage some of the activities for which The Arches is renowned. The Board sincerely thanks our staff, customers, supporters, performers and partners for their support over the years. This is a very sad day for The Arches and for the city of Glasgow. We were disappointed and surprised at the outcome of the Licensing Board. The Arches has a zero tolerance approach to drugs and has cooperated with the Police over many years. For an unprecedented six years The Arches won gold standard under the Glasgow Community Safety/Strathclyde Police Best Bar None awards—recognition of best practice in maintaining safe and well-run premises. No other venue in Scotland has achieved that."
Mark Anderson, the venue's executive director, said: "Not only will the local economy suffer through the loss of a unique and important venue for clubbing, live music, and corporate hospitality to the city’s valuable conference and event business, but Glasgow's reputation as a vibrant and progressive city of European culture suffers with it. Everyone connected to the Arches feels an overwhelming sense of injustice, but we can hold our heads high and be immensely proud of the lasting legacy we undoubtedly leave."
For more on this story, see today's feature:
The Arches and the trouble with UK nightlife.