Resolved – That Councillor A Hodson be appointed Chair for this meeting.

Members of the Sub-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 Corporate Director for Business Services reported that an application for a Summary Review of a Premises Licence in respect of Sherlocks Wine Bar, Conway Street, Birkenhead, had been made under the provisions of the Licensing Act 2003.

Following receipt of an application from Merseyside Police for a Summary Review of the Premises Licence for Sherlocks Wine Bar due to an incident of violence and disorder, the Sub-Committee considered whether it was necessary and appropriate to impose any interim steps pending the Review of the Premises Licence.

Merseyside Police were represented by Sergeant C Carmichael, G Lee, Police Licensing and Constable J Moran.

Mr G Rodger, Premises Licence Holder attended the meeting together with his legal representative Mr Reynolds.

Sergeant Carmichael requested that members of the public be excluded from the hearing under Section 53(a) of the Licensing Act 2003 due to ongoing investigations in the matter.  The Premises Licence Holder’s representative advised that he had no objection to the meeting being held in private.

The Chair informed all parties that the Members of the Sub-Committee had considered Regulation 14 of the Licensing Act 2003, Hearings Regulations 2005 and following the representations made by Merseyside Police had decided that the hearing should be heard without members of the public present.

The Sub Committee considered the evidence in support of the summary review application from Sergeant Carmichael.  Members heard representations from Merseyside Police who considered it was necessary and appropriate to suspend the Premises Licence pending the review of the premises.  Merseyside Police presented CCTV evidence to Members which showed a serious incident that had taken place at the premises in the early hours of 28 October 2018 and requested that the Premises Licence be suspended with immediate effect.

The Sub-Committee also considered representations made by the Premises Licence Holder and his representative who, in light of the incident and his recognition that serious issues needed to be addressed, made no objection to the request of Merseyside Police that the Premises Licence be suspended.

Resolved -

(1)  That in accordance with Regulation 14(2) of the Licensing Act 2003, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the application.

(2)  That the Premises Licence in respect of Sherlocks Wine Bar, Conway Street, Birkenhead, be suspended with immediate effect pending the full review hearing.