A Glasgow city centre bar plans to reopen as a nightclub after winning permission to stay open until 4am following a lengthy planning battle.
Cova, on West Regent Street, has secured approval from Glasgow’s licensing board to change its premises licence, allowing it to operate as a nightclub between 7pm and 4am.
The venue has been closed for around two years following a series of setbacks, including water damage and a fire at a nearby property.
Its owners now hope to revive the business with a new focus on late-night entertainment.
The decision follows a dispute with Glasgow City Council over the potential impact of noise on neighbouring residents.
Plans to convert the bar into a nightclub were initially rejected in 2022 after planning officials concluded that opening beyond midnight could cause unacceptable disturbance.
However, councillors overturned that decision in April this year after environmental health officials raised no objections to a noise impact assessment.
Four objections were subsequently lodged against the application to change the premises licence, raising concerns about noise, crime and disorder.
At the licensing board hearing on Friday (6 November), lawyer Michael McDougall, representing Cova, explained that the business had previously operated at 53 West Regent Street before moving to number 57.
He said Police Scotland had not objected to the application and argued that reopening the venue as a nightclub would not significantly alter the character of the surrounding area.
Mr McDougall told councillors that the “streets will be busy at 4am whether or not these premises are trading until then”.
The planning appeal had also challenged the council’s original position on late-night noise, arguing that it was unreasonable to suggest activity after midnight in Scotland’s largest city automatically amounted to antisocial behaviour.
In April, councillor Ken Andrew, who chaired the planning review committee, said granting permission was “not unreasonable” given that environmental health officials were satisfied with the proposed measures to limit noise.
The building, at 57 West Regent Street, is Category B listed and sits close to other bars and nightclubs in Glasgow’s city centre.
The latest licensing decision removes another obstacle to Cova’s proposed transformation, although a reopening date has not yet been announced.