Glasgow wedding venue the Haberdashery banned from hosting events hits back at council

A Glasgow wedding venue has hit back at the city council after being banned from hosting events.

The Haberdashery, in Sauchiehall Street, had been operating as a restaurant and event space without council permission for three years.

Glasgow City Council voted to deny the venue planning permission to host future events and have special-category late-night use.

The meeting heard that two impact assessments at the tenement building found noise levels were above acceptable standards.

A council planning committee heard that events had “made life a misery” for neighbours living in flats above the city centre venue.

‘Decision based on misinformation’

The Haberdashery has since hit out at the decision, claiming that it has been made based on “misinformation”.

“This decision, earlier this week, by Glasgow City Council to restrict events at The Haberdashery has left us deeply disappointed,” the business said in a statement.

“We feel it was based on misinformation and does not reflect the huge progress we’ve made in turning a building that lay derelict for more than a decade into something positive for Sauchiehall Street and our city centre.”

The business said it had worked to address “every noise concern” by investing in soundproofing and commissioning independent acoustic reports.

The Haberdashery says these reports confirmed it was operating below recommended sound levels.

“Despite this, key facts were overlooked, and the misinformation shared has directly impacted our business,” a spokesperson said.

More than 100 people voiced support for the venue to be granted permission to host functions on Fridays and Saturdays until midnight.

The 118 letters of support claimed the part use of The Haberdashery was providing a “vibrant” community hub, contributing to the regeneration of Sauchiehall Street, and said the art gallery is “boosting the city’s cultural scene”.

However, the council said a large number of letters came from clients of the venue and were variants of templates.

Speaking at the planning applications committee, SNP councillor Paul Leinster said: “This business has been operating without consent for a fair amount of time.

“They seem to be given every opportunity to try to get their noise mitigation measures in place. All the while they have been making life a misery for their neighbours.”

Cllr John Daly, of the Conservative group, said he had sympathy for the venue but there was also a “responsibility” to residents.