Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Licensing Committee - Monday, 5th December, 2022 10.00 am

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

Contact: Ian Hinton Smith 

Media

Items
No. Item

3.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 61 KB

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 7 March 2022.

Minutes:

 

Decision

 

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 7 March 2022 as a correct record.

4.

Licensing Update pdf icon PDF 101 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, which provided an update on the following licensing functions:

• An update on the Government’s response to the Licensing Act (2003): post-legislative scrutiny

• An update on Martyn’s Law, Manchester’s Action Counters Terrorism (ACT) Pilot and the delivery of training associated with the pilot.

• The Manchester Arena Inquiry

• An update on the Licensing Policy Review

• Gambling update including statistics at Greater Manchester level on the number of residents experiencing the harmful effects of gambling.

 

The Chair welcomed the report, with particular reference to commend officers for the work undertaken with all stakeholders to deliver training for operators and staff in preparation for the implementation of Martyn’s Law.

 

There was a discussion about the accuracy of the reported number of residents across the Greater Manchester region who were experiencing the harmful effects of gambling. A member commented that those figures appeared be low given the size of the geographical area and established intelligence about associated levels of deprivation. It emerged that those figures were captured through self-reporting mechanisms. Scope that those figures could be exacerbated in the current Cost of Living Crisis was also highlighted. The Director of Planning, Building Control and Licensing agreed to circulate a note to members of the Committee outlining the interventions/support to businesses and residents with regard to the harmful effects of gambling that the Council currently undertakes.

 

There was a discussion about the development of guidance for premises to enable them to support the needs of people with a disability (including those with hidden disabilities) who experience difficulties arising directly or indirectly from licensed premises’ activity. A member commented that not all types of disability would be

 

captured by a reliance on building regulations legislation only. The Director of Planning, Building Control and Licensing referred to a wholesale review and refresh of the Council’s current guidance to raise awareness about the reasonable steps required to effectively manage issues and challenges associated with disability that may arise. An interim update would be submitted to a future meeting of the Committee. A member suggested that this particular piece of work was done in consultation with disability groups and the Council’s Lead Member for Disability.

 

Decision

 

To note the report.

5.

Delegation of Licensing Authority Functions pdf icon PDF 88 KB

Report of the City Solicitor attached

Additional documents:

Minutes:

In line with its statutory responsibilities, the Committee considered a report of the City Solicitor in which it was invited to agree non executive licensing authority delegations as described in Sections C and F of Part 3 of the Council’s revised Constitution (appended to the report).

 

The changes were predominantly in relation to the Constitution’s Scheme of Delegation and reflected the transfer of delegated responsibility for the discharge of particular non-executive functions from the Director of Neighbourhoods to Director of Planning, Building Control and Licensing, recent amendments to the Local Authorities (Functions and Responsibilities) (England) Regulations (2000) as well as the correction of a small number of typographical errors from the previous version.

 

The Director of Planning, Building Control and Licensing, gave assurance that the changes did not represent an extension of officer’s delegations nor should be seen as a dilution of powers within the committee’s gift. She described the changes as a simplification and smoothing of processes for officers in terms of reporting arrangements.

 

Decision

 

To approve the delegation of non-executive functions as set out in the revised Sections C and F of Part 3 of the Council’s Constitution (as appended to the report submitted).