Agenda and draft minutes

To record the attendance of substitute members, if any, who have been authorised to attend in accordance with the provisions of standing order 17(1) with notification having been given to the proper officer before the start of the meeting and to receive apologies for absence. 

Councillors Gareth Jennings, Bob Johnston, Janet Morgan, John Morgan, Peter Saunders, and Val Shaw had all given their apologies for absence. 

To adopt and sign as a correct record the minutes of the committee meeting held on 14 July 2010 (previously published). 

RESOLVED

To approve the minutes of the committee meeting held on 19 May 2010 as a correct record and agree that the chair signs them.  

To receive any declarations of personal or personal and prejudicial interests in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting.   

Several councillors declared interests in the item on the joint statement of licensing policy.  Councillor Richard Farrell declared a personal interest as he was a member of Blewbury Parish Council and chairman of Blewbury recreation ground management committee that held a premises licence.  Councillor Terry Fraser declared a personal interest as he was chairman of the Vale and DownlandMuseum that held a premises licence.  Councillor Julie Mayhew-Archer declared a personal interest as a member of Abingdon Town Council.  Councillor Alison Rooke declared a personal interest as the council’s representative on the North East Abingdon Community Association.  Councillors Robert Sharp and Elaine Ware both declared personal interests as close associates of Councillor Peter Saunders who held personal and premises licences.  Councillor Richard Webber declared a personal interest as a member of Drayton Parish Council, and of the Drayton village hall committee, and as the Vale’s Executive member with responsibility for the Guildhall in Abingdon and Wantage Civic Hall, both of which held premises licences. 

To receive notification of any matters, which the Chair determines, should be considered as urgent business and the special circumstances, which have made the matters urgent, and to receive any announcements from the Chair. 

None

Any statements, petitions and questions from the public under standing order 32 will be made or presented at the meeting. 

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To consider report 70/10 of the head of legal and democratic services presenting the comments received on the draft joint statement of licensing policy following the period of public consultation and to agree a final joint statement of licensing policy for recommendation to Council for adoption (report attached). 

The committee is recommended to:

(i)                 consider the comments set out at appendix 1 on each of the responses received and the recommended action and confirm its agreement or otherwise, and

(ii)               authorise the head of legal and democratic services to incorporate the agreed actions within the policy as the final joint statement of licensing policy for submission to Council, and

(iii)             recommend the Council to:

·        adopt the final joint statement of licensing policy as its statement of licensing policy to come into force on 7 January 2011, and

·        authorise the head of legal and democratic services in consultation with the Chairmen of the South and Vale Licensing Acts Committees to make minor administrative amendments to the policy where necessary. 

The committee considered the report of the head of legal and democratic services, which set out a draft statement of licensing policy.  The policy had been prepared jointly with South Oxfordshire District Council and sent out for public consultation during the summer.  The committee considered the consultation responses and the officer’s comments and made the following amendments to the draft policy for recommendation to the Council:

• Accept suggested amendments to the text resulting from comments 1, 2, 3, 4, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25
• Note the comments and reasons for taking no action, and make no changes as a result of comments 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 and 35

The committee asked the licensing officer to write to all those who had responded, giving an explanation for making or not making changes to the policy as a result of their comments.  The committee also asked the licensing officer to write to parish councils to clarify the roles of the parish council and individual councillors and how they should notify the licensing authority of complaints about licensed premises. 

RESOLVED

(a)               To accept the amendments set out in appendix 1 to the report to the text resulting from comments 1, 2, 3, 4, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25;

(b)               To authorise the head of legal and democratic services to incorporate the agreed amendments within the policy as the final joint statement of licensing policy for submission to the Council;

(c)        To recommend the Councilto:

·        Adopt the final joint statement of licensing policy as its statement of licensing policy to come into force on 7 January 2011; and

·        Authorise the head of legal and democratic services in consultation with the chairmen of the South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils’ Licensing Acts Committee to make minor administrative amendments to the policy where necessary. 

None