Edinburgh tanning salons may have to follow a distinct set of licence conditions – including noise restrictions – under plans set to be considered by city councillors.
At present, salons apply for standard public entertainment licences, and are expected to independently know and abide by legislation and trade practices about their sector.
But council officers have said that, after inspecting premises in the city, a need has been identified to strengthen the licensing rules for the businesses.
In a report before next Monday’s Regulatory Committee meeting, officers will ask councillors to sign off on a consultation on a proposed set of changes to licences for the businesses.
Among the new conditions is a requirement that staff on site have “adequate knowledge, skill, training and experience” to carry out the activity.
Additionally, one condition would require that equipment is ‘appropriately cleaned and disinfected’ between each use.
Officers say that the changes should not come at any additional burden to businesses, as they reflect established best practice and existing guidance for the sector.
A new noise condition would also be added, which officers say would help with enforcing complaints made against sun tan salons in future.
One Indigo Sun branch on Lothian Road has been at one end of a long-running dispute, with several tenants in Lothian House saying the business’ music is disturbingly loud.
In August, the business was given a final warning to reduce its noise levels after months of complaints were not satisfactorily resolved.
The disagreement has seen the business threaten one neighbour with being reported to the police for harassment if they don’t cease complaining or communicating with the branch.
At a licensing meeting last month, the branch was given until November 1 to ensure music inside the business was not audible in flats inside the building.
However, after November 1, the business would have a one month licence revocation notice period during which they could work on the problem, with the true date being December 1.
The tenant in question told councillors at the meeting: “It’s disruptive – on Sunday mornings, Tuesday nights, it’s completely random. The base buzzing has reduced, but it still spikes.
“And the base beat is still on in my property virtually all the time. This is seven days a week. This is a significant disturbance in my life.”
By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency. It is funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector (in Edinburgh that is Reach plc (the publisher behind Edinburgh Live and The Daily Record) and used by many qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover news about top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.
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