Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 24th June 2020.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 24th June 2020 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive from Members declarations as to disclosable and other interests in relation to any Agenda Item.

No declarations were received.

To consider a report on the outcome of the consultation on the draft Statement of Licensing Policy.

Further to Minute Number 6, consideration was given to a report by the Acting Operations Manager (Business) (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) to which was attached a draft Statement of Licensing Policy under the Licensing Act 2003. The Statement sets out how the Council will exercise its statutory duties relating to its licensing function and was presented to the Committee for final comments prior to its consideration by full Council.

The draft Statement had been subject to public consultation during the period 22nd June to 12th September 2020, during which time two formal responses had been received. Details of which were contained within Appendix A to the report. Members were advised that both responses had been overall supportive, although none of which had necessitated any changes to the draft policy.

With reference to the ongoing situation surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic and the current rules and regulations being imposed on the hospitality industry, the Committee were informed that this was currently considered to be stand-alone legislation, outside of the scope of the 2003 Licensing Act. However, should this change it may prove necessary to review the policy again at a later date.

In reviewing the consultation responses and specifically the issue which had been raised with regard to planning permissions for licensed premises, the Chairman reiterated that the Planning and Licensing regimes were separate entities and that a decision in one area would not bind a decision in another. Whilst preliminary discussions as to how the two regimes might work closer together in future had been undertaken, developments in this area were unlikely to be taken further at the current time given the ongoing national situation.

Whereupon it was

RESOLVED

that the Council be recommended to approve the draft Statement of Licensing Policy under the Licensing Act 2003 as set out in Appendix B of the report now submitted, for a 5-year period ending no later than 7th January 2026.