Agenda and minutes

            The Minutes of the meeting held on 20^th March 2006 having been printed and circulated were taken as read and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

The Committee considered the report of the House of Commons ODPM: Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions Committee “Re-Licensing” published on 17^th March (HC 606). Since the preparation of the agenda the Government had issued a response (Cm 6788). This was also considered by the Committee.

The Committee considered its own experience of the implementation of the Licensing Act 2003 and various matters arising therefrom.

RESOLVED: That

(1)               the House of Commons report and the Government’s response be noted;

(2)               the Department for Communities and Local Government be informed of the following views of the Committee relating to the Licensing Act 2003:

·        all applications for new premises licences and club premises certificates ought to be submitted to the licensing committee;

·        the licensing authority ought to be able to raised representations itself; and

·        statutory time-tables relating to hearings ought to be abolished;

(3)               the amendments to the Council’s Scheme of Delegation set out in the Council’s Constitution be adopted by the Committee; and

(4)               the practice of the Committee of regular theme based training for Members be continued.

The Committee briefly considered the issues in relation to an application made by Mr. Woodward which requested that the 8 year age limit on non-carriage office vehicles be extended to 15 years for a Volkswagen Euro Cab he had recently purchased. However, as the applicant was unable to attend the meeting it was agreed that the application be deferred to the meeting scheduled for 14^th September 2006.

RESOLVED: That the application be deferred to the meeting scheduled for 14^th September 2006.