A CLYDEBANK councillor has tried to impose a blanket ban on future bookings for functions at Clydebank Town Hall.

Bailie Denis Agnew, chair of the culture committee at West Dunbartonshire Council (WDC), told a special meeting of the committee that he had discovered the town hall had hosted three events since June 25.

He claimed he had noticed a distinct lack of face masks among those attending one of the events.

The Covid restrictions which were in effect on June 25 allowed events of up to 100 people to take place at venues in Level 1 council areas.

Bailie Agnew told Monday’s meeting: “I happened to witness it by accident as I was on a planning site visit on the street opposite and the doors were open.

“Quite a number of people came out not wearing masks and certainly crowded together.

“At that point I think only two people were wearing masks and that’s what caused me great concern considering we are in the middle of a pandemic and not knowing what the procedures and protocols were.

“I was unaware we were still open for business, considering we can’t use council properties and can’t have council meetings or surgeries for however long it might be.”

The three events held at the venue since June 25 were two ceremonies, one with 10 guests and another with four, and a ceremony and reception attended by a total of 60 people.

In a report, a WDC official said: “The events have passed off without any significant issues and there is no evidence of any Covid-19 cases being linked to activity at the venue.”

Fees for using the hall were increased significantly in 2018, despite protests from many Bankies, in a bid to tackle losses of £300,000 a year at the hall.

There are currently six bookings – all made in 2019 – from August until April next year, with projected income of £27,000.

Under the Level 0 restrictions now in place, up to 200 people can attend indoor events, provided the venue’s capacity allows for guests to observe one metre physical distancing, and face coverings must be worn indoors.

Bailie Agnew’s motion asked councillors to agree that no more bookings be taken at the town hall until all works in the building are completed.

Councillor Iain McLaren said: “I’m worried that the motion is a bit open-ended.

“The town hall will always have some sort of work going on, so I think we need to put a time limit on this, or a time to review this decision.”

Raymond Lynch, the council’s legal adviser, told the meeting: “My main focus today was in relation to the current matters, but there is a risk going forward in terms of opportunity costs.

“There is a financial risk of loss of future income. It is the knock-on effect I want to highlight.”

Bailie Agnew’s motion was passed with an amendment to not accept any more bookings until planned work at the venue is finished.

The ongoing work at the hall is due to be completed by December, and the position will be reviewed in January.