SHAWLANDS locals have accused a night club boss of creating a "smokescreen" as prominent buildings in the area are left empty.

G1 Group, owned by Stefan King, is to shut popular venue Waverley Tearooms, bring the total of empty G1 venues to five.

They are calling on Mr King to sit down with representatives and discuss the future of the buildings.

But the nightclub mogul claims Glasgow City Council's strict lisencing laws are to blame for the demise of the south side area's nightlife.

In a written exchange with local Green Party councillor Jon Molyneux, Mr King blames the council for the downturn in trading in Shawlands.

Mr King writes: "Sadly the demise in terms of trading in the area started many years ago with the Council imposed restriction of trading hours in comparison to the city centre.

"This unfortunately not only affected late night operations such as ours but it also meant that bars and restaurants were affected as people were happier to go into town where they could be assured of a full night’s entertainment.

"I am advised that consideration is now being given to reinstating late licences for entertainment premises both in the south side and in the west end where anomalies exist such as Oran Mor in the west end and The Shed in the south side, both of which have created an unfair trading advantage when compared to other operators such as ourselves.

"That said, we are committed to the upkeep of our properties, albeit I appreciate that is not quite as much comfort as them being opened once again for the enjoyment of the community."

Mr King, in his letter, also claims he has invested £200,000 in the A-listed Tusk building to re-roof the property.

The closure of Waverley Tearooms adds to the closure of Tusk, which is part of the same building, Ketchup, The Cell and The Social.

Mr Molyneux said: “There’s clearly a strong desire in the local community to see these key buildings productively used and maintained.

“It’s vital therefore that G1 Group gets round the table as soon as possible with interested parties.

“The council has invested millions in improving the area over recent years, and there are further plans to make Shawlands a positive, vibrant place to be.

“Differences of opinion over licensing policy are a smokescreen; what matters now is for G1 to listen to local people and get plans in place to reopen these buildings and support the area.”

Local resident Lindsay Conn has arranged a public meeting for Monday night, at 7pm in Sweeney's on the Park, to discuss the issues.

Lindsay, who moved to the area just over a year ago, became frustrated at seeing the A-listed Tusk venue look neglected.

She said: "I was walking past the Tusk building and I could see plants growing from the roof and from cracks in the building.

"I understand Stefan King says he has spent £200,000 on the roof but I hardly think you should be crowing about things you have a duty of care to do as a matter of course.

"What we want from Monday's meeting is to find out from the local community what they would like to see happen to these buildings.

"I'm hoping we get a good turnout. It is important to Shawlands that these buildings don't just lie empty but contribute to the economic success of the area."

It is understood all of the staff from the Waverley Tearooms were offered positions in alternative G1 venues.

In his letter to Mr Molyneux, Mr King adds: "Unfortunately, I am not able to commit to much more than that at this stage, as despite being a Glasgow south sider myself, I have been somewhat disillusioned with progress around the Shawlands Shopping Centre which is undoubtedly one of the principal issues needing dealt with in the area.

"However, in essence it was the sudden change of licensing that materially affected our operations and which only came into effect post our significant investment."

In response, Glasgow City Council said there had been no support for extending opening hours to 3am.

A spokeswoman said: “As Mr King mentioned, the Licensing Board is undertaking an extensive policy review and evidence gathering process focusing on the important issues of licensed hours and over provision.

"The views and evidence gathered during this process, including those of Mr King, will be carefully considered.

"The current policy for licensed hours, outwith the city centre, has always been 2am under both the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976 and 2005.

“During the development of the current policy statement in 2013, the Licensing Board consulted on extending late night licensed hours to 3am across the city but there was insufficient support.

"The Licensing Board’s new policy statement is due to be published in autumn 2018.

"If there are changes, they will have been carefully considered taking into account the findings of the current consultation.”

G1 Group did not respond to a query from the Evening Times in time for our print deadline.