Agenda and minutes

1.         This meeting is to be webcast. Participants are reminded of the need to activate their microphones before speaking.

2.         The Chairman will read the following announcement:

“I would like to remind everyone present that this meeting will be broadcast live to the internet (or filmed) and will be capable of repeated viewing (or another use by such third parties).

If you are seated in the lower public seating area it is likely that the recording cameras will capture your image and this will result in the possibility that your image will become part of the broadcast.

This may infringe your human and data protection rights and if you wish to avoid this you should move to the upper public gallery.”

The Chairman made a short address to remind everyone present that the meeting would be recorded and would be capable of repeated viewing on the internet, which could infringe their human and data protection rights.

To declare interests in any item on this agenda.

There were no declarations of interest made pursuant to the Council’s Code of Member Conduct.

To note the adopted procedure for the conduct of business by the Sub-Committee.

The Sub-Committee noted the agreed procedure for the conduct of business and the Terms of Reference.

To consider the attached application for a Premises Licence.

The three Councillors that presided over this application were Cllr L Mead (Chairman), Cllr I Hadley and Cllr S Heather. In attendance for the application were Mr U Hussain (Applicant) and Mr J Legge (Applicant’s Agent). In attendance for the Environmental Health Team were L Coveney and N Glasscock. The following residents who had objected to the application were in attendance:

·       Mrs L Mason;

·       Mr J Morgan;

·       MrR Ellis;

·       Mr G Cootes;

·       Mrs J Cootes;

·       Mrs K Wilson;

·       Mr D Wilson;

·       Ms P Stone;

·       Ms J Eves;

·       Ms R Mitchell;

·       Mr A Hotenpow;

·       Mr B Goode; and

·       Mr Harris.

Also in attendance was the ward Councillor Cllr C McCann, representing a further three residents.

The Licensing Team Manager, D King, introduced the application for a premises licence at Bliss Heights, 149 London Road in Abridge. The application was for the provision of Lice Music, Recorded Music, Late Night Refreshment and anything of a similar nature to Live Music, Recorded Music and Performance of Dance between the hours of 12.00pm to 11.00pm on Mondays to Wednesdays, 10.00am to 11.00pm on Thursdays and Sundays, and 9.00am to 12.00am on Fridays and Saturdays. The opening hours of the premises was requested to be 9.00am to 11.00pm on Mondays to Thursdays, 9.00am to 2.00am on Fridays and Saturdays, and 10.00am to 11.00pm on Sundays.

D King reported that a considerable number of representations had been received in relation to this application, including from the Council’s Community Resilience and Environmental Health Teams, Lambourne Parish Council and 71 local residents. Three responses from statutory consultees had also been received but none had any comments to make.

The Applicant’s Agent made a statement in support of the application and addressed the two primary issues arising from the objections: noise disturbance and road safety in the vicinity of the premises. It was highlighted that an alcohol licence was not being applied for and if alcohol was requested for an event then a Temporary Event Notice would be applied for. It was emphasised that the applicant would be providing a specialised service and had successfully developed similar premises elsewhere. The Sub-Committee and the Objectors then asked a number of questions regarding the application.

The Environmental Health Officers referred the Sub-Committee to their representation, including a number of suggested conditions for the premises. Cllr C McCann made a representation on behalf of the three local residents that he was representing, followed by representations from a number of the objectors in attendance, which highlighted the potential noise and traffic issues. There were no questions for the objectors in attendance from either the Sub-Committee or the applicant.

Cllr C McCann made a closing statement on behalf of the objectors, followed by the applicant’s agent on behalf of the application. The Sub-Committee retired to consider the case accompanied by the Team Manager for Democratic & Electoral Services and the Council’s Solicitor. No issues of law or policy arose during the Sub-Committee’s deliberations, and therefore the Officers were not required to offer advice.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

Exclusion:

To consider whether, under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press should be excluded from the meeting for the items of business set out below on grounds that they will involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the following paragraph(s) of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act (as amended) or are confidential under Section 100(A)(2):

The Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006, which came into effect on 1 March 2006, requires the Council to consider whether maintaining the exemption listed above outweighs the potential public interest in disclosing the information. Any member who considers that this test should be applied to any currently exempted matter on this agenda should contact the proper officer at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.

Background Papers: 

Article 17 - Access to Information, Procedure Rules of the Constitution define background papers as being documents relating to the subject matter of the report which in the Proper Officer's opinion:

(a)        disclose any facts or matters on which the report or an important part of the report is based;  and

(b)        have been relied on to a material extent in preparing the report and does not include published works or those which disclose exempt or confidential information and in respect of executive reports, the advice of any political advisor.

The Council will make available for public inspection for four years after the date of the meeting one copy of each of the documents on the list of background papers.

The Sub-Committee noted that there was no requirement to exclude the public and press from the meeting.