Issue - meetings

To discuss the future role of the Committee having considered the Annual Report.

RESOLVED: That the Committee:

(1)   Considered their future role having considered the content of the Annual Report.

(2)   Advised officers of any additional information they required to undertake the licensing scrutiny function, including that a half yearly update be provided to Members of the Committee and that further information on the processes be provided to newer Members.  

REASON FOR DECISIONS: To ensure that the Committee is receiving the information it requires in the Annual Report and that it is content with its role in the licensing process.

Audio recording – 46 minutes 42 seconds

The Licensing and Community Safety Manager presented the report entitled ‘The Role of the Licensing and Regulation Committee’ and highlighted the following that:

·       The main considerations of this Committee were policy work, contested applications and as a Scrutiny function, as licensing was not governed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

·       The Scrutiny function was reviewed every few years and the Committee was invited to consider what could be done differently.

·       The Committee could ask for more information in the annual report, or for a six-monthly review. 

The following Members took part in debate:

·       Councillor Alistair Willoughby

·       Councillor Tom Tyson

·       Councillor Ian Albert

·       Councillor Gerald Morris

·       Councillor Elizabeth Dennis

Points raised in debate:

·       A six-monthly review would be helpful and could be emailed out to the Committee.

·       It was requested that the report have a bullet point format and include updated statistics on inspections and upcoming policy reviews.

·       The report should only come to a meeting if there was already a meeting scheduled.

·       Contentious Sub-Committees hearings were easier to manage in person, but last year there was only one non contentious meeting.

·       Requests that when Sub-Committee hearings occurred that an update be provided to use as training for newer Members.

The Licensing and Community Safety Manager stated that:

·       Having Sub-Committee hearings in person had not been ruled out when the matter was contentious or when there was a public interest test, but the default position was that these meetings continued as virtual meetings.

·       A six-monthly review could be emailed out with statistics, an update on ongoing projects and future work and this would be presented to the Committee should this occur close to a scheduled meeting.

Councillor Daniel Allen proposed and Councillor Alistair Willoughby seconded and, following a vote, it was:

RESOLVED: That the Committee:

(1)   Considered their future role having considered the content of the Annual Report.

(2)   Advised officers of any additional information they required to undertake the licensing scrutiny function, including that a half yearly update be provided to Members of the Committee and that further information on the processes be provided to newer Members.

REASON FOR DECISIONS: To ensure that the committee is receiving the information it requires in the Annual Report and that it is content with its role in the licensing process.