Agenda and minutes

The minutes of the meeting held on the 31 October 2024 having been circulated were signed as a correct record.

PREAMBLE

A meeting of the Regulatory Sub-Committee (acting as Licensing Committee under the Licensing Act 2003) of Halton Borough Council was held at Municipal Building, Widnes on Monday 9^th December 2024 commencing at 12 Noon.   

The meeting was held to hear an application (Appendix C) made under section 17 of the Licensing Act 2003 for the grant of a Premises Licence at 71b Albert Road Widnes. The application was amended prior to the hearing (by way of email dated 2^nd December (timed 18:37) to the Licensing Manager) to withdraw Steven Hewitt as the proposed DPS and to have the terminal hour for all licensing activities at 2am (rather than 4am originally applied for). The Application was further amended during the hearing by the Applicant to reduce the terminal hour on Sunday to 1am (Monday morning) with 30 minutes drinking up time (throughout the week) (the latter being requested by Cheshire Police and agreed by the Applicant) and all other matters remaining as set out in the Operating Schedule and subject to the mandatory conditions in sections 19-21 Licensing Act 2003 and the additional conditions imposed by the Sub Committee set out herein.

In attendance were: -

1. Members of the Regulatory Sub Committee comprising Councillor Pamela Wallace, Councillor John Abbott, Councillor Mike Fry (`the Sub Committee’)
2. Karl Barry - Consultant for the SER Holdings Ltd and Costin Serban - Director of SER Holdings Ltd (‘the Applicant’)
3. Kim Hesketh (Licensing Manager)
4. Alex Strickland (Legal Adviser)
5. Wendy Pringle (Taxi Enforcement Officer)
6. Lesley Halliday (Cheshire Police)
7. Jon Prior & Kath Harkin (Cheshire Fire)
8. Councillor E Jones (Ward Member)
9. Lyn Fletcher and Mr Jones (`Residents’)

The hearing was triggered as a result of representations lodged by the Residents who attended the hearing and others who did not, namely
Mr. K. O’ Brien and Ms. A. McNamara.  Also, Councillor Eddie Jones and Councillor Ged Philbin lodged relevant representations together with Cheshire Police and Cheshire Fire. 

After the Chair of the Sub Committee had introduced the parties, the Sub Committee adjourned for 15 minutes to allow for discussions between the Applicant and Cheshire Fire. Cheshire Police and Cheshire Fire then attended the Sub Committee to outline the basis of their representations before the public session recommenced. Upon reconvening, the Legal Adviser outlined the procedure to be followed.

1.     Details of the application (as amended before and during the hearing)

As set out in the Operating Schedule to the Application (Appendix C) with the amendment that the terminal hour of 4am was substituted for 2am (Monday to Saturday) and the terminal hour for Sunday (Monday morning) was to be 1am.

In addition to the above, there was to be a 30 minutes drinking up time (to allow for last entry before the terminal hour). This was requested by Cheshire Police and agreed to by the Applicant.

The Applicant and Cheshire Fire have agreed upon submission of the appropriate Fire Risk Assessment before the premises commence trading.

The Applicant acknowledged that a new DPS would have to be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.