Agenda item

(Director of Neighbourhoods) To consider the attached report.

The three Councillors that presided over this item were Councillors P Keska (Chairman), L Hughes and R Morgan.

 

The Chairman introduced the members and officers present and outlined the procedure that would be followed for the determination of the application. The Chairman welcomed Mr T Miall, the applicant and Mr L Sennett, an objector.

 

(a)          Application before the Sub-Committee

 

The Licensing Compliance Officer, D Bastick, introduced the application. The application had been made by Mr T Miall for a new premises licence under the Licensing Act 2003 at Abridge Village Hall and Grounds, 39 Ongar Road, Lambourne, Romford RM4 1UD. This application for a ‘Sunday Best Scooterfest’ included the provision of regulated entertainment, live music, amplified recorded music or performance of dance. The application did not include the sale of alcohol and was for Sundays only from 10.00 – 18.00 hours. The application had been received on 21 March 2018.

 

The responsible authorities had been consulted, it was also advertised at the premises and in a local newspaper. All residences and businesses within 150 metres radius of the premises had been individually consulted. The Council had received two representations from local residents, which related to the prevention of public nuisance, crime and disorder and public safety. Responses of no objection had been received from Essex Police and Essex County Fire and Rescue and the Public Health Department. The Licensing Compliance Officer confirmed that Essex Police had agreed the following conditions with the applicant prior to this meeting, which were:

‘This licence was for a Scooterfest and was only valid for one Sunday per calendar year. The date of the event would be advised to Essex Police via email (licensing.applications@essex.pnn.police.uk)and the Licensing Authority (licensing@eppingforestdc.gov.uk) a minimum of three months in advance. The Event Management Plan would be sent to Essex Police via email (as above) and the Licensing Authority via email (as above) a minimum of two months in advance’.

 

(b)       Presentation of the Applicant’s Case

 

The applicant, Mr Miall explained that this application was for a Scooterfest, one day a year from 10.00 to 17.00 and that the site would be cleared by 18.00 hours. Five hundred scooters had attended last year. Pedestrian access would only be allowed via a designated gate, therefore no underage people would be able to arrive, as the organisers were mindful of the consumption and availability of alcohol at the venue. There would be two live bands and three DJs that would let people have the opportunity to dance, plus around forty stalls, mostly selling vintage clothes and scooter accessories. The event would be covered by the organiser’s public liability insurance. Marshals would be provided and this year, subject to affordability, professional security provided.

 

(c)       Questions for the Applicant from the Sub-Committee

 

The Sub-Committee asked if the event was going to be held on 8 July 2018, to which the applicant confirmed.

 

The Sub-Committee asked about rubbish collection. The applicant replied that there would be a skip on site, the organisers would collect litter throughout the day and this would be monitored by the Abridge Village Hall Committee.

 

The Sub-Committee asked how five hundred scooters and those travelling by car would be accommodated on the venue site. The applicant explained that marshals would direct the scooters to a designated parking area. There would be no riding display just a static display.

 

The Sub-Committee asked how many years the Scooterfest had been running and why an indefinite licence was being applied for this year. The applicant replied this was the eighth year it had been running and he was applying for an indefinite licence, as it was both time consuming and costly to apply each year.

 

The Sub-Committee asked if any noise complaints had been received in the past about the music, to which the applicant replied the only complaint last year was that the Scooterfest entrance signs to Abridge Village Hall had not been large enough. Therefore, this had meant that some scooters / cars that had missed the village hall entrance, had to turn around in driveways nearby to backtrack. The event cost about £3,000 to organise.

 

The Sub-Committee asked how many Scooterfest events had been held at Abridge Village Hall, to which the applicant replied once before.

 

The Sub-Committee asked further about applying for an indefinite licence. The Licensing Compliance Officer said that the applicant could agree with the Licensing Authority to have the licence transferred, but it would be for a one day per year event. The applicant said that this licence would probably need to be transferred eventually to another applicant in the Foresters Scooters Club, as it managed the event. It was unlikely to be transferred to a professional company as this event was solely for scooter fans and was a family event.

 

The Sub-Committee asked if the stage could be moved further down into the field but the applicant replied that the Abridge Village Hall Committee had advised him where to position it.

 

(d)       Questions for the Applicant from the Objector

 

There were no questions for the applicant.

 

The Essex Police Licensing Officer, P Jones, stated that he had asked for two conditions to be added to this premises licence as it was intended to be renewed annually, the details of which the Licensing Compliance Officer had confirmed earlier.

 

(e)       Presentation of the Objector

 

Mr L Sennet, who lived at a neighbouring property, said that one of his original concerns had been that the event would be held every weekend, but it was now clear that this would be once a year, to which he would have no objection. The noise from the event was not that pleasant, but at last year’s fireworks display event violence had spilled over into the road. However, if this event was only once a year and was managed properly, this would help.

 

(f)        Questions for the Objector from Sub-Committee

 

There were no questions for the objector.

 

(g)       Questions for the Objector from the Applicant

 

There were no questions to the objector.

 

(h)       Closing statement from the Objector

 

There was no closing statement from the objector.

 

(i)        Closing statement from the Applicant

 

There was no closing statement from the applicant.

 

(j)        Consideration of the application before the Sub-Committee

 

Members of the Sub-Committee, the Legal Officer and Democratic Services Officers withdrew from the Chamber to consider the application in private. During their deliberations the Sub-Committee received no further advice from the officers present.

 

            RESOLVED:

 

That the application for a new premises licence in respect of Abridge Village Hall and Grounds, 39 Ongar Road, Lambourne, Romford RM4 1UD be granted subject to the following conditions which the Council considered were reasonable, proportionate and in the public interest for the promotion of the licensing objectives:

 

(1)       The conditions which were consistent with the Operating Schedule which this Sub-Committee considered were appropriate for the promotion of the licensing objectives.

 

(a)     For this year only, due to the short timescale, the Sub-Committee agreed that the Event Management Plan must be submitted to Essex Police and the Licensing Authority and agreed before 1 June 2018.

 

(2)       The mandatory conditions contained in Sections 19–21 of the Licensing Act 2003.

 

(3)       The following conditions which had previously been agreed with Essex Police for the purposes of the licensing objectives:

 

(a)       This licence was for Scooterfest, and was valid only for one Sunday per calendar year. The date of the event would be advised to Essex Police and the Licensing Authority via email. The notice must be given a minimum of three months in advance of the event.

 

(b)     The Event Management Plan would be sent to Essex Police and the Licensing Authority via email a minimum of two months in advance of the event; and

 

(c)     Approved a minimum of six weeks in advance of its event by both parties.