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

Members of the Licensing Panel 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.

Councillor A Hodson declared a personal interest in the application by virtue of being acquainted with the brother of a local resident who had made a representation and was in attendance at the meeting.

The Director of Law and Governance reported upon an application that had been received from Lateral Wylde Limited to vary a Premises Licence in respect of Lateral, 83 Banks Road, West Kirby, CH48 0RA.

The hours permitted under the current Premises Licence and the hours applied for the variation of the Premises Licence were set out within the report.  The application also included a request to remove the following conditions from the current Premises Licence:

·  Along with the Designated Premises Supervisor, two other members of staff must hold a valid personal licence

·  An Anti-Drug policy must be implemented and a secure place to store controlled drugs prior to collection must be made available.  The Police must be notified of any seizures of controlled drugs.  A Drugs Register must be maintained.

It was reported that the applicant had originally requested Live Music from 18:00 until 22:00 seven days a week and Recorded Music from 08:30 until 23:30 seven days a week however these applications had been submitted in error and had subsequently been withdrawn.

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 application be granted.

Following discussions with Merseyside Police, the applicant had agreed to have a number of conditions placed on the Premises Licence, as set out within the report, should the application be granted.

In respect of the application seven representations had been received from local residents.  The representations related to public nuisance being caused to local residents by customers both inside and outside the premises which the residents had advised was currently a problem.  The local residents considered that should the application for later hours and ‘off’ sales of alcohol be granted then public nuisance would be exacerbated. 

A representation had also been received from a Ward Councillor, Councillor Tony Cox, who supported the representations received from local residents.  Copies of the representations had been provided to Members.

The applicant attended the meeting.  Three local residents who had made representations were also in attendance.

The Licensing Manager confirmed that all documentation had been sent and received.

The Licensing Manager outlined the report. 

The applicant addressed the Sub-Committee and advised that the premises operated as a café/bistro but that the current hours of operation were not viable for the business to operate successfully, therefore they were currently at a disadvantage compared to other businesses in close proximity and wanted to be brough in line with other businesses. They informed Members of the Sub-Committee that the current hours do not allow for two sittings of an evening and therefore the business has to rely upon the income from customers using the premises predominantly during the day. It was reported that should the application be granted, the business would continue to operate as a café/bistro. Members were advised that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.