Resolved - That Councillor S Niblock be appointed Chair for this meeting.

Members are asked to consider whether they have personal or prejudicial interests in connection with any item(s) on this agenda, and, if so, to declare them and state what they are.

Members were asked to consider whether they had personal or prejudicial interests in connection with any items on the agenda, and, if so, to declare them and state what they were.

No such declarations were made.

This application was withdrawn prior to the hearing.

The Director of Law, HR and Asset Management reported upon an application that had been received from Merseyside Police for the review of a Premises Licence in respect of the Fairfield Hotel, 292 Old Chester Road, Rock Ferry, under the provisions of the Licensing Act 2003.

The premises currently have a Premises Licence which allows the licensable activities as set out in the report.

A copy of the Premises Licence setting out the hours and conditions attached to the licence was available.

The Director advised that the Sub-Committee may, having regard to the application for review and any relevant representations, take such of the following steps as it considered necessary for the promotion of the licensing objectives:

• Modify the Conditions of the Licence.
• Exclude a licensable activity from the scope of the Licence.
• Remove the Designated Premises Supervisor.
• Suspend the Licence for a period not exceeding three months.
• Revoke the Licence.

The Licensing Authority may decide that no action would be necessary if it found that the review did not require it to take any steps necessary to promote the licensing objectives.

The application had been submitted by Merseyside Police and the Licensing Sergeant advised that the grounds for review were in relation to the prevention of crime and disorder and public safety due to gas at the premises being illegally abstracted.

Sergeant P Jenkins and Constable R Jones, Merseyside Police, attended the meeting.

Mr B Peace, Area Manager, GRS Pubs Investment and Mr J Anderson, Solicitor were also in attendance.

The Licensing Manager reported that all documentation had been sent and received and that the Designated Premises Supervisor was in attendance together with her solicitor, Mr Johnson who wished to make a request to the Sub-Committee that he make representations on her behalf.

Mr D K Abraham, Legal Advisor to the Sub-Committee referred to Regulation 2, 6(1) and Schedule 2 of the Licensing Act 2003 (Hearings Regulations) 2005 and clarified to Members that the Designated Premises Supervisor was not a party to the proceedings and therefore not in a position to make representations.

The Chair informed Mr Johnson that his request to make representations on behalf of the Designated Premises Supervisor was refused further to the legal advice provided.

Sergeant Jenkins reported that there was an ongoing criminal investigation in this matter and asked that the matter be heard in private.

A short adjournment took place while Members considered the request made by Sergeant Jenkins.

The meeting reconvened and the Chair advised that with reference to Regulation 14(2), the meeting would be held in private.

Sergeant Jenkins reported that he had been in close liaison with GRS Pubs Investments and that they had confirmed that a Notice to Quit had been served on the tenant Mr O’Gorman.  Sergeant Jenkins reported that there was an ongoing criminal investigation into the illegal abstraction of gas at the premises and gave the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the gas being illegally abstracted.  Sergeant Jenkins reported that GRS Pubs Investments had taken stapes  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.