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Minutes of a meeting of the Licensing Act Committee |
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held on Thursday, 21 October 2021at 10.30 am
at the First Floor Meeting Room, 135 Eastern Avenue, Milton Park, Milton, Abingdon, OX14 4SB
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Open to the public, including the press |
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Present:
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Members: Councillors Alison Jenner (Chair), Ron Batstone (Vice-Chair), Jerry Avery, Paul Barrow, Dr, Cheryl Briggs, and Diana Lugova
Officers: Paul Bateman and Laura Driscoll
Members also present virtually:
Margaret Crick, Val Shaw and Richard Webber |
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Officers also present virtually:
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Sarah Commins, Michael Flowers, Diane Foster and Jeremy Lloyd |
7. Apologies for absence
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Matthew Barber and Patrick O’Leary.
8. Minutes
RESOLVED: to approve the minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 18 May 2021 as a correct record and agree that the chair sign these as such.
9. Declarations of interest
There were no declarations of interest.
10. Urgent business and chair's announcements
None.
11. Public participation
There were no statements submitted to the committee nor any public speakers.
12. Review of Joint Gambling Policy
The committee considered the head of housing and environment’s report concerning the review of the Joint Gambling Policy. The committee noted that the council’s current Joint Statement of Gambling Policy came into effect from 31 January 2019. The policy was subject to statutory review every three years and was thus due for review by 31 January 2022.
The licensing team leader reported that the committee was required to consider the policy following a statutory consultation, which had run from 13 July 2021 to 10 August 2021. The committee was advised that a report on the results of the consultation formed part of the report as appendix C. The committee noted that the appendix also detailed aspects of the draft policy which had been amended as a result of the consultation.
With reference to paragraphs 10 to 14 of the report, the committee noted that as part of its statement of gambling policy, the council, as a licensing authority, was entitled to pass a ‘no casino resolution’, or to state that it would welcome a casino, if the opportunity to bid for a premises licence became available. The committee was advised that its role was to recommend to the council whether there should be a ‘no casino’ resolution. If introduced, this would mean that the council could not consider any applications for casino premises licences in the area of the Vale of White Horse District Council.
The committee understood that a ‘no casino’ resolution had first been adopted in 2006. It continued to agree the underlying principles of this decision, namely that the rural nature of the district, containing market towns, was not an appropriate location for a casino, and that casinos were better located in large towns or cities, and that the council should also protect the most vulnerable people in the community from gambling in casinos.
The committee fully endorsed the content of the proposed new policy and were particularly supportive of the intention to continue the no casino policy.
RESOLVED:
(a) That the outcome of the consultation is noted and recommend Cabinet in turn to recommend to Council the following:
i) adopt the proposed Joint Gambling Policy
ii) authorise the Head of Housing and Environment to make minor editorial changes to the Joint Gambling Policy.
iii) authorise the Head of Housing and Environment to publish the Joint Gambling Policy in accordance with the Gambling Act 2005 (Licensing Authority Policy Statement) (England and Wales) Regulations 2006.