Festive tipplers in Helensburgh and Lomond will get extra time for their celebrations in pubs and hotels this year, writes David Carnduff.

Revellers will get an additional hour's drinking during most of December and up to January 3.

And during the peak party nights - Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Hogmanay and New Year's Day - opening hours are being extended to 3am for all premises.

However, some licence holders in the town say they won't be applying for the extra hour because staying open after 1am means they would incur the extra cost of having to hire door stewards.

In announcing the arrangements for the festive season, Argyll and Bute Licensing Board is warning landlords not to miss the deadline to apply for the additional opening.

Chairman, Councillor David Kinniburgh, said: “At the moment licensees wanting to extend their hours over the festive period need to apply to us at least 35 days before the date of the event for which the extra hours are required.

“This deadline of 35 days in advance also applies to people applying throughout the year for occasional licences for places that do not have a licence, such as a village hall.

“We are increasingly seeing people come to us at the last minute asking for licences, within the 35-day period.”

“Licensing staff pull out all the stops to make sure their licence is processed for the event to go ahead, or in time for the festive season as they want to ensure celebrations go ahead as planned.

“However, a last-minute rush, particularly coming up to December, puts pressure on the hard-working team here to get everything approved.

“It also means there is a chance some applications may not be processed in time, which would be a huge disappointment for people planning things in their community, or looking forward to the boost Christmas and New Year means for business.

“We don’t want to have to say no to people but if too many people miss the deadline, that may well happen.

“Even if we are able to process everything in time, late applications mean late approval, sometimes very close to the event. That leaves people worrying they may not get the go-ahead.

“It’s in everyone’s interests to make sure you get your licence applications in before the 35 days so we can make sure things run smoothly and you can enjoy your celebration.”

Some bar bosses say staying open for the extra hour is not worth the trouble because of the stewarding requirements after 1am.

June McMurdo, manager at the Ashton Bar in West Princes Street, said: "We normally shut at 1am but it would not be worth our while having to pay for stewards on the door.

"You also find that nine out of 10 people go to ticketed events at Christmas and New Year rather than going to a local pub."

John Rapallini, licensee at the Clyde Bar, West Clyde Street, said it was unlikely he would extend opening hours at Christmas because of the extra stewarding requirements and out of consideration to neighbours who might be affected by noise.

The festive licensing arrangements as outlined in the council statement are as follows:

This year’s festive season will see a presumption in favour of trading hours being extended by one hour. This is from Friday 8 December to Tuesday 2 January (into the morning of 3 January)

Subject to their application being approved, premises that have a licence until 1am will be able to trade until 2am, those with a 2am licence until 3am.

On the dates of 24, 25, 26 and 31 December and 1 January, hours are extended to 3am for all premises.

More information is available at www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/trade-festive-licensing-hours-2017