BOSSES at a restaurant and a disused pub in Musselburgh have been pulled up by a licensing watchdog for allegedly not paying their annual fees on time.

Review hearings for The Stand and Shish Mahal, both on High Street, are expected to take place at a meeting of East Lothian Council’s licensing board tomorrow (Thursday).

The fees of £280 for each of the premises – a mandatory condition of the premises’ licence – were due on October 1 but were not paid until November 5 – 35 days late, said the licensing standards officer’s report.

They were given until November 1 to pay the fees prior to the board meeting, which will also consider the premises licence for The Stand, which has not been used to sell alcohol for 10 years, it added.

Licensing standards officers have had to “chase up” the fees since 2014 for The Stand and, in the case of Shish Mahal, every year since 2012, the report said.

The Shish Mahal in Musselburgh (Image: Newsquest)

The premises licence for The Stand was transferred to Rakhsana Khan in 2014, the report explained.

The licensing standards officer visited the premises on October 30, 2024, finding it “closed and disused”.

They added: “The premises known as The Stand closed and has not traded since 2014. There are historic LSO reports to indicate that some building work has been undertaken; however, this has been sporadic.

“In 2017 a planning application was submitted to change the premises into a restaurant, however, this change has not come to fruition.

“On visiting the premises, I found it to be a bare shell requiring substantial works.

“It has sat empty and has not been used for the sale of alcohol for 10 years.”

The report added: “Premises that cease trading in the sale or supply of alcohol must notify the licensing board of the reason for closure and the timescale for reopening. The board may decide to hold a hearing to determine whether in the circumstances the premises licence has ceased to have effect.”

It said: “The current premises licence has not been varied in any way since 2014 and details a pub.”

The licensing standards officer spoke to Rakhsana Khan’s husband, who said that there was “work to be done” on the premises.

The officer said: “On November 4, I received a phone call from Mr Khan, the premises licence holder’s husband, and explained the situation that the failure to pay the annual fee and that the lack of use and development of the premises was inconsistent with the premises retaining a premises licence.

“He said he would pay.”

In 2009, Idris Khan was granted a premises licence for the Shish Mahal, which serves Indian cuisine, and the premises manager named on the licence is Inam Khan, the report said.

The licensing standards officer said he received a phone call from Mr Khan, the licence holder, on November 4 and he said he would pay.

“I reminded him that the annual fee is due every year by October 1 and late payment was not acceptable,” added the officer.