Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Debbie Morris, Stephen Cox, Raj Khiroya.

To confirm, as being a correct record, the minutes of the Licensing Committee, held on 4 December 2024, and for them to be signed by the Chair.

The minutes of the Licensing Committee held on 4 December 2024 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair of the meeting.

Items of other business notified under Council Procedure Rule 30 to be announced, together with the special circumstances that justify their consideration as a matter of urgency. The Chair to rule on the admission of such items.

There were no items of other business.

To receive any declarations of interest.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Licensing Act 2003 (as amended) (“the 2003 Act”) requires that all licensing authorities should issue a Statement of Licensing Policy and keep it under review every 5 years, making revisions to it, at such times, as it considers appropriate.

The current Statement of Licensing Policy 2021-2026 (“the Policy”) was published on 24 February 2021 and therefore expires on 24 February 2026.

Officers have reviewed the Policy and have sought to make changes. It should be noted that no legislative changes have occurred since the last review and therefore the changes identified at this stage are relatively minor and expanded upon below.

The objective is for the revised Policy to be effective from 25 February 2026 to ensure a seamless transition between the existing and new Policy.

Recommendation

That members of the Committee agree to the following:

·        Note the report and revised Policy making changes if required; and

·        Commence a 6-week public consultation exercise on the revised Policy; and,

·        Following the expiry of the public consultation that details of the consultation responses and any amendments to the Policy following the consultation will be presented to the Licensing Committee on 4 February 2026 for agreement with formal adoption by Full Council on 24 February 2026; or,

·        In the event there are no amendments or responses from the public consultation which materially impact the revised Policy as consulted on, that the Head of Regulatory Services in conjunction with the Chair of the Committee makes minor changes to the Policy, if required, and then for the revised Policy to be formally adopted by Full Council on 24 February 2026.

That public access to the report be immediate.

The Development Management Team Leader introduced the report.

Key points included the distinction between commercial license applications and community or charity events, with an emphasis on facilitating easier access for smaller groups who may struggle with digital submissions. The conversation highlighted the challenges faced by applicants unfamiliar with online systems, the importance of maintaining some flexibility for paper applications, and the need for clear, simple guidance to help community members understand licensing requirements. Suggestions included incorporating explanatory information about temporary event notices into the policy, creating easy-to-read guides, and enhancing communication through parish council and social media, especially around common event times. The discussion also covered the prompt validation process for applications and the role of licensing officers in providing personalised assistance.

Councillor Harry Davies moved the recommendation as set out in the report to Commence a 6-week public consultation exercise on the revised Policy.

On being put to the Committee, the motion was declared CARRIED by the Chair, the voting being by general assent.

RESOLVED:

That members of the Committee agree to the following:

• Commence a 6-week public consultation exercise on the revised Policy and the other recommendations set out at paragraph 2.1 of the report.

To note the Committee’s work programme.

The Committee noted the work programme and Members addressed the need to incorporate any interim changes into the work programme, and emphasised the importance of revisiting changes if they arise.

None

           If the Committee wishes to consider the remaining item in private, it will be appropriate for a resolution to be passed in the following terms:-

            “that under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined under paragraph X of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act. It has been decided by the Council that in all the circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.”

            (Note:  If other confidential business is approved under item 3, it will also be necessary to specify the class of exempt or confidential information in the additional items.)

The Chair moved, duly seconded, the following motion:

“that under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined under paragraph (X) of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act. It has been decided by the Council that in all the circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.”