Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Licensing Committee - Monday, 7th March, 2022 10.00 am

Venue: Council Chamber, Level 2, Town Hall Extension. View directions

Contact: Ian Hinton Smith 

Note: The meeting can be viewed on Vimeo at: https://vimeo.com/678829044 

Items
No. Item

1.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 97 KB

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 25 October 2021.

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 25 October 2021 were submitted for approval.

 

Decision

 

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the Licensing Committee meeting held on 25 October 2021.

 

2.

Licensing Update pdf icon PDF 362 KB

The report of the Director of Planning, Building Control and Licensing is enclosed.

Minutes:

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Planning, Building Control and Licensing that provided a topical update on various Licensing matters.

 

The Principal Licensing Officer introduced the report, first discussing COVID-19 and the changes this had made for Licensed Premises. Whilst Government restrictions have changed, the Principal Licensing Officer stated that venues have still been asked to exercise caution.

 

A proposed relaxation in licensing hours for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend was then discussed. This would extend Licensing hours until 01.00am but has not yet received approval from Government.

 

The Principal Licensing Officer then discussed changes to TEN’s and the provisions of the Business and Planning Act 2020. They discussed the extensions to some of the temporary provisions contained within them.

 

The Principal Licensing Officer then moved on to discuss the Action Counters Terrorism (ACT) training, providing Committee with an update on the progress of this. In-person sessions of the training have begun, with feedback positive about the course.

 

The Principal Licensing Officer then informed the Committee that a review of the Licensing Policy was underway, with the intention that a consultation will begin shortly. The review aims to decrease the size of the policy, to make it more accessible. The review also aims to ensure that the policy is fit for purpose. The Principal Licensing Officer invited members of the Committee to meet outside of the meeting if they had any ideas on what they wanted to see in the review.

 

Finally, the Principal Licensing Officer provided an update on Gambling Harms. GMCA had been awarded a sum of money to fund a programme across Greater Manchester, with the aim of preventing and reducing gambling related harm.

 

The Committee expressed that it was good to hear the update on Gambling Harms. A member of the Committee discussed the experiences of a constituent who had a gambling problem.

 

A member of the Committee then questioned the impact of relaxing licensing hours for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations and how ACT training can be tailored to individual licensed premises. The Principal Licensing Officer stated that no concerns had been raised to themselves regarding the relaxation in hours causing any additional problems. In terms of ACT training, the content of the course has evolved slightly. It is noted as difficult to relate the training directly to individual Licensed Premises as it is a nationally recognised course. The Principal Licensing Officer stated that those delivering the training have the ability to focus on the key areas of the content for those they deliver to.

 

The Committee then questioned more on the Gambling Harms update, also asking for further updates on case studies in the area. The Principal Licensing Officer offered to bring case studies and detailed figures before a future committee. They informed the Committee that the Government’s White Paper has been delayed but a key facet of the review is social responsibility of gambling operators and this is expected to be addressed in the Paper. An update will be brought to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.