Agenda item

*LSC2        

TheSubCommitteeconsidereda reportthatsoughttodeterminea variation of thepremiseslicenceofPretoriaVaults,Okehampton. TheChairmanread out theorderoftheprocess.

TheLicensingOfficerproceededtopresentthe applicationandthecontentsof her report.Shestatedthat thepolicehadwithdrawntheirobjectiondue toan alterationin theoriginalapplication.Thelicensinghoursona Saturdaywere proposedtobe 10.00am– 3.00amandclosingat 3.30am,theapplicantwas now askingforlicensinghoursof10.00am-2.30amandclosingat3.00am

1.   AddressbyMrEdwardBailyand MrStuartMcCormack Representativesof theApplicant

The applicantsmadethefollowingpointsduringtheirpresentation:

No reportsofcrimeordisorder

Onepubclosedin town& 2upfor sale

Thereis no rearareawhichcouldbeusedforsmokingpurposes Wouldlike touseundercoveralleywayforsmokersbutfallsoutside smokingregulations

Seefirst customeraround11pm withmajorityarrivingaroundmidnight. Extrahalfhourwouldseea 20%increaseontrade.

3 doormenon dutyonSaturdays.Oneonthedoor,onein thesmoking areaandoneonthestreet

At thispointMembersaskeda numberof questionsrelatingtothe retentionof doormenuntilclosing,availabilityoftaxisat 3amandnoiselevelofthose leavingtheestablishment.

2    Addressby JamesKershawEnvironmentalHealth

JamesKershawmadethefollowingpointsin hispresentation:

Similarapplicationin 2007 wasrejectedasit wasin residentiallocation. Thepremisesis locatedin a narrowresidentialstreet,withitsnearesttaxi rankbeing100mawayonForeStreetor200mawayon MarketStreet. Thereforecustomersleavingthepremiseswouldhavetopassa number of residentialpropertiespotentiallycausingdisturbance

3   AddressbyCllrLeechon behalfof residents

CllrLeechmadethefollowingpointsin hispresentation:

He hadbeenmadeawareofseveralresident’sconcernsin regardto antisocialbehaviorandintimidationbysomepatronsof the establishment howeverthe residentswouldn’tputin writingforfearofretribution

MeetingheldwithManagersand8 membersofthe publicabout6 months ago

Highnumberof propertiesin NorthStreetgoingonthemarket

Smokingareaneedsto belookedat regardlessof  theoutcome

Veryrecentchangesin originalapplicationmeanthewasunabletospeak to residentstogaintheirthoughtsbeforethemeetinghoweverhis view wassomewouldnotobjectto thechangefrom 3amto2.30am

Followingthepresentationmembersaskedquestionsincludingwhy complaintswerenotpassedontothemanagersof theestablishment& the difficultyin attributingnuisancetothepub.

4    AddressbyCllrJanGoffeyon behalfof OkehamptonTown Council

CllrGoffeymadethefollowingpointsin her presentation:

Concernsoverlocalresidentswholivein thestreet,youngfamiliesand shiftworkers

Police& StreetPastorsshiftendsat3am

Narrowstreetandinappropriatepositionfora pub

Followingthispresentation,Membersaskeda numberofquestionsand asuggestionwasmadetopassanycomplaintsreceivedstraighttothe manageratthetimethey weremadeso theycoulddealwiththem.

(At 3.20pm,theSub-Committeeadjournedin thepresenceof AlexReece to considertheapplication.TheSubCommitteereconvenedat4.47pm)

5    TheDecision

TheChairmanreadoutthefollowingstatement:

“Wehaveconsideredthe applicationfor thevariationofthepremiseslicence. We haveconsideredtheStatementof LicensingPolicy,the government

guidanceandourobligationsthatrelateto the promotionof thelicensing objectives.

Wehavereadcarefullythe writtenrepresentationsfromall parties,plus additionalstatementsfrompersonsheretoday.We havetaken theseinto accountwiththe exceptionof thecommentswhichhavebeenmade regardingthe businessinterestsoftheapplicantas thesearenot relevantto thelicensing objectives.

We havealso consideredtheadditionalconditionsandamendments proposedby thePolice andacceptedby theApplicant.

Ithas beena difficultdecisionto make. Wehavegenuineconcerns regardingthe proximityofthe premisesto residentialpropertiesandthe concernsofresidents.However,wehavenot heardanyevidence of formalcomplaintsto EnvironmentalHealth,and thePoliceno longer objecttothe applicationas revised.Wehaven’theardany evidence that thepremisesarenot wellrun.

It isour decisionto grant theapplicationas revised,subjectto:-

1.   Theincorporationof thethreeadditionalconditionsrequestedby the  Policebecausewe aresatisfiedtheyhavethe potentialto reducePublicNuisance, beingoneof thelicensingobjectives.

2.   The amendmentoftheexistingcondition regardingpublic orbank holidayopeningsto add thewordsas a new sentence‘This one hourdoes notapplyto theSaturdaynightintotheSunday morning’. Inadditionto beingproportionateandappropriate,the Committeealso believesthe amendmentsto be necessary.

Thankyouall”