Agenda and minutes

Venue: This meeting is being held remotely. The meeting can be viewed live by pasting this link into your browser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_64XJLJ5-w&feature=youtu.be

Contact: Carolyn Sinclair  Email: carolyn.sinclair@coventry.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

42.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

43.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 51 KB

To agree the minutes of the Committee meeting held on 1 September 2020 and the Sub-Committee (Hearing) held on 26 August 2020.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The minutes of the Committee meeting held on 1 September 2020 and the Sub-Committee (Hearing) held on 26 August 2020 were agreed as true records.

44.

Licensing Act 2003 - Revised Statement of Licensing Policy pdf icon PDF 99 KB

Report of the Director of Street Scene and Regulatory Services

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Streetscene and Regulatory Services, the purpose of which was to seek Members' views on the draft revised Statement of Licensing Policy 2021-2026 under the Licensing Act 2003, which was appended to the report.

 

The report had been considered by the Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities on 5 October 2020 for authorisation to carry out the consultation and approval of the existing Statement of Licensing Policy to be extended until the consultation and implementation of the revised Statement of Licensing Policy 2021-2026.

 

Under the Licensing Act 2003, the Council’s Statement of Licensing Policy must be reviewed every five years.  The current Statement of Licensing Policy came into effect on 5th January 2016 and a review must, therefore, be completed and a revised Statement of Licensing Policy published by 5th January 2021.

 

On 26th March 2020 the Government enacted The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions)(England) Regulations 2020 (which have been since be repealed and replaced with The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions)(England)(No.2) Regulations 2020), in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced many licensed premises, such as bars, pubs, cafés, restaurants, nightclubs, hotels, cinemas and theatres, to either close and cease trading, and/or placed restrictions on their business operations, which would adversely affect their trade.

 

On 9 April 2020 the Local Government Association (LGA) published advice to Licensing Authorities in a document titled “Approaches to managing licensing and related issues during the COVID-19 pandemic” (updated on 17 April). This advice considers issues relating to a wide spectrum of Local Authority licensing, including alcohol, entertainment and late-night refreshment under the Licensing Act 2003.

 

Within this guidance it was advised that Councils may want to consider with Elected Members delaying the consultation on the Revised Statement of Licensing Policy, and that this may be pragmatic due to the challenges in effectively communicating with the local licensed trade and residents. Many of the local trade were either closed or experienced challenges financially during these unprecedented times and were not in a position to give the consultation to the revised Statement of Licensing Policy 2021 – 2026 appropriate consideration.

 

Key changes to the revised Statement of Licensing Policy related to:

  • Applications – Temporary Event Notices
  • Large scale events
  • Responding to a pandemic
  • Coventry as a Marmot City

 

Members discussed the content of the report and in response to a question relating to the scope of the consultation exercise, Officers agreed to expand the circulation to include places of worship.

The results of the consultation process will be submitted for consideration to Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities before a finalised policy is presented to full Council for approval.

 

RESOLVED that the Committee note that the consultation exercise will commence on 9 October 2020 for an 8-week period finishing on 4 December 2020.

 

45.

Outstanding Issues Report

There are no outstanding issues to report.

Minutes:

There were no outstanding issues.

46.

Any other items of public business which the Chair decides to take as matters of urgency because of the special circumstances involved

Minutes:

There were no other items of public business.