Restaurants, pubs, hotels and night clubs may have to cease trading at 11pm on weekdays and 2am at the weekend should the bylaw be passed.
The final draft of the bylaw will not be submitted to council for approval until after the public participation process has been finalised.
Last year the Eastern Cape Liquor Board unsuccessfully attempted to limit all liquor trading hours to 10pm on weekdays and midnight on weekends.
In terms of an agreement on trading hours made in the Grahamstown High Court last year, night clubs can operate until 4am at weekends and remain open until 2am during the week. But now they could be forced into closing earlier.
Restaurants, pubs and hotels currently operate until midnight during the week and at weekends.
As restaurants, pubs and hotels are being grouped together with night clubs in the proposed schedule, they could be given an extra two hours at the weekend, but an earlier closure during the week.
Local attorney Andre Schoombee said there was a grey area regarding trading times at present, but commended the municipality for drafting the proposed bylaw.
“There is actually no proper regulation following that court case, but it's good news that they are trying to do something,” said Schoombee.
Owner of Buccaneers Sports Pub and Grill Harold Godard said he would oppose closing at 2am.
“Our licence is for 4am. We have a special licence which allows that, although generally we do close at 2am on the weekend,” he said.
Food and beverage manager at the Gonubie Hotel Mark Iveson said there was confusion surrounding the trading times, but he welcomed the late weekend closure.
“We usually close by midnight. If we could stay open until 2am on the weekend it would definitely help us, particularly in booking live entertainment,” he said.
Daryn Mildenhall, manager of the Numbers night club, said he could not imagine a scenario where his club would have to close early.
Mildenhall said: “I foresee a lot of venues being affected by this. An early closure would definitely have an effect on us.”
Source: Daily Dispatch
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