Members of the Committee were asked to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non pecuniary interest in connection with any application on the agenda and state the nature of the interest.

No such declarations were made.

To approve the accuracy of the minutes of the meeting held on 12 March 2014.

Resolved - That the accuracy of the minutes of the meeting held on 12 March 2014 be approved.

The Head of Legal and Member Services reported that Standing Order 33(1) required that Committees should keep the need for panels under review and, in particular, the position must be reviewed at the first meeting of a Committee in each municipal year.

He set out the terms of reference of the Licensing Panel and indicated that if it was to be retained in 2014/15 with seven members, the allocation of those places would be 4 Labour, 2 Conservative and 1 Liberal Democrat.

He reported that only named deputies may attend panel meetings in place of a permanent member.  Standing Order 25(6)(a) permits appointment of up to a maximum of eight deputies for each political group and deputies are normally called to serve in the order in which they are nominated.

Unless appointed as full members, the Leaders and Deputy Leaders of the three largest political groups represented on the Council are entitled to attend meetings of all Committees, Sub-Committees and Panels, with the right to speak at the Chair’s invitation, but not to vote (Standing Order 25(5) refers).

Resolved -

(1)  That the Licensing Panel be re-appointed for 2014/2015 with the terms of reference identified until amended or otherwise changed by the Committee and until such time as a new Panel is appointed.

(2)  That the following members be appointed to serve on the Licensing Panel in 2014/2015:-

The Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment sought Members’ views on the designation within the Parliamentary Constituency area of Birkenhead of a Designated Public Places Order under the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001.

The Licensing Manager reported upon the outcome of the consultation.

Sergeant S Barrigan attended the meeting and provided an update of the evidence that supported the request of Merseyside Police to introduce a new Designated Public Places Order (DPPO) to cover the whole area of Birkenhead.  Sergeant Barrigan advised Members that the DPPO replaced alcohol free zones of which there were a number in Wirral.  The application was to have the increased area covered by a DPPO in order that the issue of displacement would be avoided.  He advised that twenty two responses in support of the proposal had been received during the consultation period.  Sergeant Barrigan advised Members of the existing problems in the area and provided Members with a pack of evidence to support a DPPO in Birkenhead.  This evidence related to incidents recorded for the period 31 March 3013 to 31 March 2014 and provided an update following statistics provided at the meeting of this Committee on 2 October 2013.  He reported that 84% of complaints received were in respect of street drinking in the area.  He further reported that there were 354 alcohol related crimes in Birkenhead and 182 alcohol related arrests.  Merseyside Police had also provided incident logs containing a total number of 128 incidents from 1 January 2013 to 30 July 2013 which included street drinking related anti social behaviour (108), alcohol related anti-social behaviour (8) and street drinking related violence (12).  A petition had also been received containing 462 signatories from local residents/businesses who were in support of the request to have the DPPO extended.

Sergeant Barrigan advised Members that the DPPO was an important tool to address the problem of street drinking and alcohol related antisocial behaviour that was prevalent in the area.  He requested that the Committee agree that the Parliamentary Constituency area of Birkenhead be Designated Public Places Order.

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Sergeant Barrigan and the Licensing Manager responded to questions from Members of the Committee regarding the size and cost of the signs that would be placed in the area and how costs of signage may be met.

It was moved by Councillor A Hodson and seconded by Councillor L Fraser that -

“A Designated Public Places Order be put in place in respect of the Parliamentary Constituency area of Birkenhead.”

Resolved – That a Designated Public Places Order be put in place in respect of the Parliamentary Constituency area of Birkenhead.

The Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment reported on an application received to license a Peugeot Eurotaxi as a Hackney Carriage Vehicle.

Members were informed that it was resolved by the Licensing, Health and Safety and General Purposes Committee on 2 March 2006 that should any new makes of vehicle be presented for licensing as Hackney Carriage Vehicles, they should be the subject of a report in order that the Committee may determine whether such vehicles meet the Council’s Hackney Carriage Vehicle Licence conditions.

The applicant attended the meeting with his vehicle which members of the Committee inspected.

Members considered the representations made and expressed concern regarding the amount of space available for luggage and therefore asked questions regarding how the applicant could comply with the condition that luggage must be kept separate from the passenger seating area and must be secured at all times.

The applicant advised Members that a flip up seat could be fitted at the front of the vehicle which would allow luggage to be stored in that area.  Members were also informed that the model of vehicle being presented to them was a short base version of the vehicle and that a long base version provided a larger area for separate storage of luggage.

Discussions took place regarding the two versions of the vehicle, the short wheel base and long wheel base.

It was moved by Councillor S Niblock and seconded by Councillor A Hodson that –

“The Peugeot Eurotaxi short wheel base with a flip up front passenger seat be licensed as a Hackney Carriage Vehicle”.

Resolved –

(1)  That the Peugeot Eurotaxi short wheel base with a flip up front passenger seat be licensed as a Hackney Carriage Vehicle.

(2)  That should an application be received to license a Peugeot Eurotaxi long wheel base model, the first application for this model must be referred to this Committee.