THE owner of an Aberdeen bar which had its application for a pop-up tent venue controversially fast-tracked after a Tory MSP called for urgent action donated £20,000 to the Conservatives in 2017, the Sunday National can reveal.

The Draft Project, owned by PB Devco which also runs the nearby Soul Bar, was granted an occasional licence on July 31. The licences help premises with short-term issues such as needing to open outdoor spaces with little notice and have helped firms with implementing social-distancing measures.

These licences can be given without the need for councillor oversight under temporary measures brought in by the Scottish Government. However, Aberdeen City Council has said it would not use these powers.

On July 30, PB Devco told the Evening Express it could be more than a week before a licence was granted by Aberdeen City Council despite other authorities having taken much less time to make a decision.

Liam Kerr, Tory MSP for the North East region, backed the company, writing to the council’s licensing board to say it was “vital local businesses like Soul are supported”.

He asked the board to use the emergency powers provided by the Scottish Government to make a decision “as soon as possible” to allow for opening that weekend. He added that the Borders and Edinburgh councils had recently accepted applications within 24 hours.

The pop-up venue was granted its license the following day, in time for Aberdeen’s match against Rangers.

The Draft Project was later named as one of 28 venues linked to Aberdeen’s coronavirus cluster outbreak.

In Aberdeen occasional licences can only be signed off on if no objections are received after seven days of public advertisement. A row has since been sparked as it emerged The Draft Project was advertised for just three days before councillor Marie Boulton fast-tracked the application.

The licensing team leader Sandy Munro said the decision was made at the request of PB Devco, and the convener had “truncated” the seven-day period because the council had delayed advertising the application due to “issues”.

After calls for her resignation, Boulton, who sits as an independent, insisted she “acted fully in compliance with due process given powers available to me as the convener of the licensing board”.

PB Devco director Stuart Clarkson said there was “no way” the rules were bent for his company, telling the P&J: “I have no idea how the licence was dealt with, just that we got it in the nick of time to open.”

It since emerged that PB Devco donated £20,000 to the Conservative and Unionist Party on May 22, 2017, just weeks before the UK election.

An SNP source told The National: “Liam Kerr must explain to the voters of Aberdeen why he publicly requested preferential treatment for this specific beer tent – ahead of all others in the city – to be fast-tracked.

“If he cannot, then people will draw their own conclusions. The Sunday National should be commended for asking these questions.”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Conservatives said: “Liam wrote to the council in good faith to consider fast-tracking all occasional licences, as per the SNP Government’s own wishes and his role in standing up for the needs of local businesses. Liam also wasn’t aware of any donation being made.

“One pub was used as something of a case study to illustrate the strength of feeling among hospitality businesses in the city. But it is clear from the letter that the needs of all the city’s struggling bars and restaurants were at stake.”

Boulton did not respond to a request for comment, while PB Devco could not be reached for comment.