Agenda item

Council received, as an appendix to the circulated report, a copy of the draft Licensing Act 2003 – Review of Licensing Act Policy, for Members’ comments prior to consultation.

During the discussion the following points were raised:-

What effect did the introduction of more flexible licensing hours have on communities and what resources did the Authority have to deal with complaints such as noise nuisance? Officers advised that out of hours working was not undertaken by Licensing Officers and that noise nuisance was dealt with by Officers of Environmental Health who did provide such a service.  In relation to crime and disorder complaints these would be dealt with by the police. 

Should a licensed premises continue to receive complaints it was possible to undertake a review of the license wherein the Committee undertaking the review could impose addition conditions, suspend or revoke the license.  Members then asked for details of the number of licences called in for review together with details of the powers of enforcement the Authority has.  It was noted that the review of a licence was one of the final ways of dealing with problem premises and that there were only a few undertaken per year.

Members also questioned whether the reference to the Race Relations Act 1976 and the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 was correct. Officers would look into this outside of today’s meeting and amend the document, if necessary, prior to consultation.

Member also stressed the importance of monitoring closely the use of glass and bottles particularly outside a licensed premises.

In addition, Members asked what the Authority could do to restrict the sale of New Psychoactive Substances and noted that as the sale of the substances were not illegal and were sold ‘not for human consumption’, the Authority could not prevent their sale in shops. The Authority could however prevent their sale on licensed premises if this was happening. 

The Authority was providing education into the dangers of New Psychoactive Substances at schools throughout the County Borough. The Welsh Government was looking to introduce legislation against their sale although there was a danger that this would drive their sale ‘underground’.

RESOLVED:       that the, draft Licensing Act 2003 – Review of Licensing Act Policy, as contained in the appendix to the circulated report, be approved for consultation purposes.