NOTICE OF MEETING

COMMITTEE:             LICENSING & REGULATORY

DAY/DATE:                TUESDAY, 19^TH FEBRUARY 2008

TIME:                        2.30PM                                   

VENUE:                     COUNCIL CHAMBER

                                 MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS

                                 EARLE STREET, CREWE

NOTE:  FOR ATTENDANCE BY THE FULL COMMITTEEE   

Despatch date:           11^th February 2008

Enquiries to:               Carol Jones                 

Tel:                            01270 537598 
Fax:                           01270  537605

e-mail : agendas@crewe-nantwich.gov.uk

To:          Members of the Licensing and Regulatory Committee

For attendance by all Members

(Councillors T E Ankers, W T Beard, J A Beech, D N Bebbington,A Crawford, W S Davies (Chair), R E Dodd, B H Dykes, J Lewis, R W Parker, M Roberts, R Salmon, R Stafford, C Waling and L T Wood)

Copy:     Councillor J V Dwyer, Portfolio Holder for Safer Communities

Chief Executive, Executive Directors

Notes to Members of the Public

The full Licensing and Regulatory Committee consists of 15 elected Members.  Councillor Stan Davies is the Chair.  This Committee has 7 Sub-Committees.  There are 2 x 8-Member Sub-Committees which deal with Hackney Carriage and Private Hire licensing and personnel matters and there are 5 x 3-Member Sub-Committees which deal with matters under the Licensing Act 2003.

The Borough Council welcomes and encourages members of the public to attend its Committee, Board and Council meetings.

If you plan to attend, please report to the Reception Desk in Delamere House, Delamere Street, where you will be provided with a Visitor’s Pass.

There are several town centre car parks including one at Delamere House. 

You are asked to remain quiet whilst the meeting is taking place, and to enter and leave the meeting room, or public gallery of the Council Chamber, as quietly as possible.  Please ensure that if you have a mobile phone or pager, it is switched off for the duration of the meeting.

You are not allowed to have drinks or food in the meeting rooms, nor in the Public Gallery.  A “No Smoking” policy operates in the Municipal Buildings.

Fire Evacuation

If the fire alarm rings, you should make your way to the nearest exit with your belongings, as quickly as possible, and leave the building.  Please follow any instructions from staff about evacuation routes.

Copies of the agenda will be available if you attend. Agendas are also made available on the Internet and can be accessed via the Council’s website – see front page for details.

On occasions, members of the press and public will be excluded from the meetings when the business to be transacted is of a confidential nature, for example, dealing with individual people, contracts and financial affairs of other parties.

If you require any further information, please contact Carol Jones the Committee Officer (details on front page).

AGENDA

1          Declaration of Interests

Any Member present (including non-Committee Members) to declare any personal or prejudicial interest, and the nature of the interest, which they have in any item of business on the agenda and, if necessary, to leave the meeting prior to discussion of that item.

Declarations are a personal matter for each Member to decide.  Whilst Officers will advise on the Code of Conduct and its interpretation, the decision to declare, or not, is the responsibility of the Member, based on the particular circumstances.

2          Designation of Public Places Orders (“Alcohol Exclusion Zones”)

2.1       On 23^rd October 2007, the Licensing and Regulatory Committee approved the making of Designated Places Orders in 19 wards in the borough, subject to public consultation.

2.2       The statutory consultation period ended on 27^th December 2007 and responses have now been received.  These are summarised in the attached report of the Chief Executive (2).   

2.3       The Committee is invited to consider the responses to the consultation exercise and, having considered those responses, determine if it wishes to make an Order. 

The Order cannot come into force until all signage is in place.  The Committee may set a date for implementation and any date set should allow sufficient time for advertising the Order and erection of all appropriate signage;  the suggested date for implementation is 2^nd April 2008.

2.4       During the consultation exercise, it became apparent that the database provided was out-of-date and a number of streets which were to be designated had not been named in the advertisement.  There is, therefore, a need to make a second Designated Public Places Order in relation to the streets omitted to correct the anomaly (See A in Appendix 2 of the report).

2.5       The scale of the map used was such that comments have been made that it is not clear if certain areas on the periphery of the red line are fully included.  For the avoidance of doubt, the Committee is asked to make a second Designated Public Places Order (subject to public consultation) in respect of those areas of land (See B in Appendix 2 of the report).

3          White Horse – Appeal

At its meeting held on 8^th June 2007, Sub-Committee No. 2 refused an application by the White Horse, Pillory Street, Nantwich, to vary the current premises licence to allow customers to use the outdoor area after 23.30 hours.

The applicant appealed the decision and the appeal was heard on 27^th November 2007 by South Cheshire Magistrates Court. The magistrates amended the condition, and a report of the hearing is attached. (3)

Note:

In accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act, the Council is required to notify those attending meetings of the fire evacuation procedures.  A copy has previously been distributed to Members and instructions are located in all rooms within the Civic Suite.