Agenda item

Report of the Licensing Manager

The Committee received the report of the Licensing Manager to enable Members to consider the proposed changes to the Statement of Licensing Policy following the consultation process.

It was reported that the Licensing Authority was required by the Act to revise its Statement of Licensing Policy every 5 years and to consult with stakeholders before publishing and implementing the updated Policy.

The current Policy had come into force in January 2011 and, in order to satisfy the statutory timeframes, the revised draft Statement of Licensing Policy would be considered by full Council on 16^th December 2015 for implementation in January 2016.

Consultation had taken place and letters had been sent to all licence holders and other stakeholders.  Copies of the revised draft Policy had been placed on the Council’s website, as well as in the Town Halls in Morecambe and Lancaster, and a press release had been published in the Lancaster Guardian.

Two responses had been received to the consultation, one pointing out a couple of grammatical errors and making reference to internet/web broadcasts, which fell outside the remit of the Licensing Act 2003.  The other response had been from the Lancaster City Centre Residents’ Association and related to conditions the group would like to see attached to licences. 

The Licensing Manager had contacted the group to explain that blanket conditions could not be adopted and included in the Statement of Licensing Policy, and to advise of the provisions that were in place if residents wished to make representations in relation to individual applications, or to request a review of an existing licence.

Members considered the proposed changes to the Statement of Licensing Policy in detail.

It was proposed by Councillor Brayshaw and seconded by Councillor Edwards:

“That subject to the following amendments being made and emailed to Members for additional comment prior to referral to full Council, the revised draft Statement of Licensing Policy be referred to full Council for approval on 16^th December 2015 and implementation in January 2016:

1.         Reinstate reference to the provision of alcohol under paragraph 2 “scope” that was in the current Policy under that heading.

2.         Make amendments at paragraph 13.3 to the suggested steps that an applicant may take in relation to control of patrons who were, under the management’s consent, smoking on adjacent streets or pavements.

3.         Include a provision in relation to information for Other Persons, who may wish to review a premises licence.”

Upon being put to the vote, Members voted unanimously in favour of the proposition, whereupon the Chairman declared the proposal to be clearly carried. 

Resolved:

That subject to the following amendments being made and emailed to Members for additional comment prior to referral to full Council, the revised draft Statement of Licensing Policy be referred to full Council for approval on 16^th December 2015 and implementation in January 2016:

1.         Reinstate reference to the provision of alcohol under paragraph 2 “scope” that was in the current Policy under that heading.

2.         Make amendments at paragraph 13.3 to the suggested steps that an applicant may take in relation to control of patrons who were, under the management’s consent, smoking on adjacent streets or pavements.

3.         Include a provision in relation to information for Other Persons, who may wish to review a premises licence.