Agenda and minutes

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the second virtual meeting of the Licensing Committee.

A Member must declare any disclosable pecuniary interest where it relates to any matter being considered at the meeting. A declaration of a disclosable pecuniary interest should indicate the interest and the agenda item to which it relates. A Member is not permitted to participate in this agenda item by law and should immediately leave the meeting before the start of any debate.

If the Member leaves the meeting in respect of a declaration, he or she should ensure that the Chairman is aware of this before he or she leaves to enable their exit from the meeting to be recorded in the minutes in accordance with Standing Order 37.

None

03 November 2020, to approve as a correct record (attached)

Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting be approved as a correct record.

Report of the Director of Public Health.

The Director of Public Health and Regulatory Services reported on the administration and enforcement of all licensing regimes undertaken by the council.

The Principal Environmental Protection and Licensing Officer presented her report, which detailed the Licensing activities undertaken within the financial year 2020/21 in relation to the functions and responsibilities carried out by the North Somerset Licensing Team.  The report noted ongoing pressures and difficulties experienced as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The report further noted that the current Statement of Licensing Policy was due for review, with Home Office guidance permitting a delay in starting the formal consultation until 2021 in light of the resource pressures caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.  Members noted that the emerging picture of the night time economy, and the future hospitality industry in general, would take some time to recover following the extended periods of lockdown and restrictions that many businesses had faced. As the current policy was still fit for purpose, using the available resource to support the current premises back to operation and compliance was seen as a priority and would also allow time to take a more aspirational approach to any revised content.  It was proposed that the next few months be used to collate ideas and data to inform a revised version which would be presented to the Committee at the mid-year review in November 2021.

The Principal Environmental Protection and Licensing Officer highlighted areas already identified for review to members and requested that members consider any additional areas of concern.  The Licensing Team was under pressure and busy with continual changes to the Covid regulations and changes to licensing legislation.  There was a requirement to consider the changes to the taxi policy in line with the statutory guidance from the Department of Transport.

With the continued resource pressures during the present Coronavirus pandemic the revised Sexual entertainment venue policy was still in formulation. There was currently only one sexual entertainment venue in the district which had remained closed since March 2020 and no new applications had been submitted to date. The revision of this policy was therefore seen as low priority currently and would now take place in early 2022.

The Department for Transport statutory standards for Local Authorities were issued in 2020 in relation to the Hackney and Private Hire licensing regimes. Details of the new standards were outlined to members at the last meeting in November 2020.  It was noted that additional measures needed to be introduced and an interim revision of the policy to note these ahead of the next full policy review in 2023. An interim revision of the Council’s Taxi & Private Hire policy had been drafted accordingly and was attached as Appendix B of the report. The first online applications under the new process were being trialled with the aim of starting the new policy with effect from 1 April 2021. 

Members noted that operators and their dispatch and booking staff would be required to undergo a safeguarding awareness session.  The Taxi Compliance  ...  view the full minutes text for item LIC4