Falkirk licensing: New life for Airth's former Welfare Hall

DoubleAA Leisure was granted a premises licence for Airth Venue, Main Street, Airth, when Falkirk Council’s licensing board met on Wednesday.

It was a special moment for company director Chris Denkaat, who played his first gig there at the age of 18.

He was delighted to be given the licence after “a very long road” to get to that stage, having taken over the Venue last September when it was badly in need of repair.

The hall had been closed due to the pandemic and Chris told the meeting that his ambition was for it to be well-used again as a community hall that would cater for private functions, funerals and other events.

Airth Venue – which has two halls and a lounge – is also open at weekends with entertainment and live music,

Chris said: “The village has been supporting us in a good way and we’re looking forward to people making use of it for parties and so on.”

Since September, the hall has been repaired and redecorated and now boasts a fresh, modern look as well as new CCTV and fire alarm systems.

After the meeting, Chris said: “The club has held a lot of sentiment with the family for many years as my dad was a resident DJ in the old welfare hall many moons ago.

“It is also where I played my very first gig as a musician and vocalist when I was just 18 years old.

“Therefore we decided it was the right thing to do to take over the club after it closed and renovate it – breathing a new life back into the place we all held so close to our hearts.

“We hope to have the continued support and encouragement from the village now that we are about to begin trading and hope the community will make great use of the newly refurbished function spaces we have available.”

Members of Falkirk Council’s board visited the premises the day before the meeting on Wednesday and several members said they were very impressed by the changes that had been made.

Airth Venue is now licenced for on-sales from 11 am until midnight, Sunday to Thursday and 1 am on Friday and Saturday. Off-sales are licenced 11am until 10pm, seven days a week.

Children and young people who are under-18 will only be allowed on the premises when they are attending a private function and they must be supervised at all times.