Resolved – That Councillor B Hall be appointed Chair for this meeting.

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

No such declarations were made.

The Director of Law and Corporate Services reported upon an application that had been received from Marston’s Plc to vary a Premises Licence in respect of Tap, Ferry Road, Eastham, CH62 0AU.

The hours permitted under the current Premises Licence were set out within the report.  The application to vary the Premises Licence was to increase the licensed area to include the outside area on the licence.  The current plan and the proposed updated plan of the premises had been provided to Members.  The application also included a request to remove certain conditions from the current Premises Licence as outlined within the report and to attach the following condition to the Premises Licence:

·  The Licence Holder must record incidents, in and around the licensed premises.  The report (written or digital) must be produced on demand to an Authorised Officer and must be kept for a period of 12 months from the last date of entry.

It was reported that following discussions with Trading Standards the applicant had agreed to have a further condition attached to the Premises Licence, as outlined within the report, should the application be granted.

In respect of the application six representations had been received from local residents and local businesses.  The representations related to noise nuisance they had experienced from loud music coming from the outside area of the premises.  Copies of the representations had been provided to Members.

The applicant attended the meeting together with a business partner and their legal representative.  Five local residents who had made representations were also in attendance with their legal representative.

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

The Licensing Manager outlined the report.

The applicant’s legal representative addressed the Sub-Committee and advised that the application had been made to include the external area in the plan of the premises and to remove outdated conditions attached to the Premises Licence.  Members of the Sub-Committee were informed that entertainment had taken place inside the premises for many years and that the premises had made use of a gazebo in the outside area.  Members were further informed that whilst live and recorded music had been provided for many years at the premises, people had been attracted to visit the premises for many different reasons and that the premises was particularly busy during the summer season.

Members of the Sub-Committee were advised that the application was transparent in that it was acknowledged that by including the outside area in the plan of the premises this would permit live and recorded music to take place in this area.

The applicant’s legal representative reported that the areas sought to be licensed were not new areas and had been historically extensively used by members of the public and that the application to vary the Premises Licence had been sought to facilitate the sale of alcohol from an additional point within the external area which they believed would improve supervision, mitigate congestion internally and avoid points of conflict arising from queues  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.