Licensing Committee - 16 June 2021

LICENSING COMMITTEE

NOTICE AND AGENDA

For a meeting of the Licensing Committee to be held on Wednesday 16 June 2021 at 7.30pm in the Penn Chamber, Three Rivers House, Northway, Rickmansworth, WD3 1RL

Members of the Licensing Committee:-

Councillors:

Raj Khiroya (Chair)

Donna Duncan

Stephen Cox

Joanna Clemens

David Coltman

Martin Trevett (Vice Chair)

Roger Seabourne

Paul Rainbow

Alex Turner

Kate Turner

Alison Wall

Joanne Wagstaffe, Chief Executive

8 June 2021

The Council welcomes contributions from members of the public to aid discussions on agenda items at the Licensing Committee meetings. Details of the procedure are provided below:

For those wishing to speak:

Members of the public will be entitled to register and identify which report(s) they wish to speak on from the published agenda for the meeting.  Those who wish to register to speak must do so by notifying the Committee team by e-mail ( CommitteeTeam@threerivers.gov.uk ) 48 hours before the meeting. The first 2 people to register on any report (one for and one against) will be sent details on the requirements for attending the meeting.  Registering 48 hours before the meeting will allow the Committee Team time to prepare the speaker sheet in advance of the meeting. Owing to the need to make Covid/Health and Safety preparations for the meeting we are not able to accept speaker registrations after 2pm on the day of the meeting (Wednesday 16 June 2021).

Please note that contributions will be limited to no more than three minutes.

Please note that, in the event of registering your interest to speak on an agenda item but not taking up that right because the item is deferred, you will be given the right to speak on that item at the next meeting of the Licensing Committee.

For those wishing to observe the meeting:

Due to Coronavirus restrictions the Council are restricted on the number of people who can attend the meetings in person.  To secure one of the limited places as an observer, please contact the Committee Team by email at CommitteeTeam@threerivers.gov.uk  48 hours in advance of the meeting taking place.  Owing to the need to make Covid/Health and Safety preparations for the meeting we are not able to accept registrations to observe the meeting after 2pm on the day of the meeting (Wednesday 16 June 2021).

In accordance with The Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014 any matters considered under Part I business only of the meeting may be filmed, recorded, photographed, broadcast or reported via social media by any person.

Recording and reporting the Council’s meetings is subject to the law and it is the responsibility of those doing the recording and reporting to ensure compliance.  This will include the Human Rights Act, the Data Protection Legislation and the laws of libel and defamation.

The Licensing Committee meeting will not being broadcast/livestreamed but a recording of the meeting will be made.

Protocol -

1.  APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

2.  MINUTES

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the Licensing Committee meeting held on 10 February 2021.

3.  ANY OTHER BUSINESS

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.

4.  DECLARATION OF INTERESTS

To receive any declarations of interest.

5.  Gambling Act 2005 – Review of Statement of Licensing Policy

The review of the ‘Statement of Gambling Principles and Policy (hereafter referred to as “the draft Statement of Policy”) is required by The Gambling Act 2005 (“the Act”). The current policy (Appendix A) was amended in 2018 and came into force on 14 January 2019 and is in place until 13 January 2022.

Members had also previously confirmed the continuation of a ‘No Casinos’ policy which is attached to the current policy at Appendix 4. The resolution of a ‘No Casinos’ policy was first passed by Full Council on 17 October 2006 and such resolution has been passed most recently in 2018 when the Statement of Policy was last amended.

This report seeks Members’ comments, or additions to, the draft Statement of Policy for the period 2022–2025 (hereafter referred to as “the draft Statement of Policy”) in order to allow for a period of consultation to commence before being formally adopted and ratified in time. A resolution on Casinos will also need to be considered and passed if it is to form part of the draft Statement of Policy.

Officers have in recent months been reviewing the draft Statement of Policy and a track change version is attached at Appendix B. The extent of changes are also presented at Section 3 of this report.

The draft Statement of Policy must come into force by 14 January 2022 otherwise the Council will be unable to exercise its function under the Act.

6.  An Overview of Cumulative Impact Assessment / Policy & Complaints about Premises Licences

Following the Licensing Committee on 10 February 2021 it was agreed that Officers would produce a report underlining the criteria for a Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) being prepared to consider the introduction of a Cumulative Impact Policy (CIP) in a specific area of the district. In addition it was agreed that a procedure would be implemented in order for any relevant complaint(s) concerning a premises licence within the District to be logged and reported at every Licensing Committee. This was to enable Members to be made aware of and understand where, if any, areas of concern within the district might be, and therefore consider whether any concerns or problems could or should lead to the inclusion of a CIP.

As it stands the Licensing Authority does not have a CIA or a CIP. The Statement of Licensing Policy 2021-2026 was recently adopted whereby it was agreed that at the current time no CIA was required as no area within the district is an area of concern at present. However, subject to evidence, this could change over the 5 year period when the policy is in force.

The department works closely with the Police and Environment Health & Community Safety Partnership at the Council to ensure all licenced premises are working within the legislation and their licence. In addition, Officers undertake various ad hoc visits to premises to ensure compliance with the terms of the premise licences.  The Council also are active in the Pub Watch scheme.

Due to the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, and with the hospitality sector only recently re-opening there have been no complaints which are of cause for concern in the district in relation to suggesting the need for a CIA.

7.  WORK PROGRAMME

To consider and made any necessary changes to the Committee’s work programme.

8.  OTHER BUSINESS – If approved under Item 3 above.

9.  EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC

If confidential business is approved under item 3, it will also be necessary to specify the class of exempt or confidential information in the additional item(s) and a resolution to be passed in the following terms:-

“that under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined under paragraphs (1-7) of Part 1 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.

1.  OTHER BUSINESS – if approved under item 3 above

General Enquiries: Please contact the Committee Team at  committeeteam@threerivers.gov.uk