Resolved - That Councillor P Williams be appointed Chair for this meeting.

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

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

No such declarations were made.

The Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment reported upon an application that had been received from Mr Wshiar Mohammed for a Premises Licence in respect of Liscard Convenience Store, 218 Liscard Road, Liscard, under the provisions of the Licensing Act 2003.

The hours requested were outlined within the report.  The applicant had submitted an operating schedule setting out how the business would be conducted/managed in accordance with the four licensing objectives.  A copy of the full application was available.  Members were advised that the proposals set out in the operating schedule may become conditions of the licence should the licence be granted.  Following discussions with Merseyside Police, the applicant had agreed to certain conditions being imposed on the Premises Licence should the application be granted.

A representation and a petition had been received which had been signed by 25 Members of the Central Liscard Area Residents Association.  A further petition had also been received signed by 87 local residents.  The representation and petitions related to the cumulative impact of licensed premises within the vicinity of the premises in respect of anti-social behaviour, in particular under aged drinking.  A copy of the representation and petitions were available.

A representation had also been received from Ward Councillor, Bernie Mooney.  The representation supported the concerns expressed by local residents.  A copy of the representation was available.

The applicant attended the meeting together with his representative, Mr Jordan.

Councillor Mooney, Ward Councillor and Mr Singh, a local businessman were also in attendance.

The Licensing Manager confirmed that all documentation had been sent and received and informed Members that Mr Hale, Chair of Central Liscard Area Residents Association, was unable to attend but that Councillor Mooney would address the issues he had raised in his representation.

Mr Jordan advised the Sub-Committee that the applicant would be willing to reduce the hours applied for regarding the sale of alcohol to:

Monday to Saturday  08:00 to 23:00

Sunday  09:00 to 22:00

He further informed Members that no more than 25% of the floor space would display alcohol and gave details of the staff training programme that would be in place which included an ID procedure, the consequences of underage sales and selling outside of the hours permitted, proxy sales, street drinkers, a refusals register and the placing of appropriate signage which would be displayed in the window, at the point of sale and by the alcohol display.  He advised that a strong training programme would be put in place in order to address the issues that had been raised in the representations.  He believed that there was no evidence that the applicant would sell to people under the age of 18 or to those intoxicated or street drinkers and that there was no link to anti social behaviour.  He referred to the fact that no representations had been submitted by Merseyside Police and there was no evidence to suggest the premises would not promote the licensing objectives.  He advised Members that training would be updated  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.