Applications granted for stores and Stobo

It’s a chance for the store, currently in the town’s Channel St, to stock a larger range of products and provide car parking for its customers, something it can’t do at Channel St.

The application came before Scottish Borders Council’s licensing board on Friday, members saw fit to grant the licence, which will see the store able to sell off-licence alcohol on up to 5% of its shelving space.

Applications for variation of a premises licence were granted for both the Aldi supermarket in Galashiels and Kelso’s Lidl store. The two shops were looking to increase the capacity of alcohol-related goods, with Lidl asking for additional capacity over Christmas and New Year.

Stobo Castle Health Spa was also successful in its application for a variation in its licence, extending its core hours, to allow for “a bit of fluidity” in the way the business is run.

The application, giving the spa one hour longer to sell alcoholic drinks on Sunday to Wednesday and two extra hours Thursday to Saturday (currently 11pm all week) was granted.

Councillor Robin Tatler said: “I’d just like to congratulate the management and staff at Stobo Castle for the benefit it brings to the local economy.”