Agenda and minutes

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Breda Griffin.

Members are asked to disclose any interests in matters for consideration at the meeting.

None disclosed.

                                                                                                            (Enclosure)

The minutes of the meeting held on 10th May 2013 were agreed as a correct record of the decisions taken.

Report CSL/032 by the Community Safety and Licensing Service Manager.

(Enclosure)

Decision:

That the application to renew the Sexual Entertainment Venue Licence and the variation to the existing hours at Taboo Gentleman’s Club, 99 Westgate, Grantham be granted as applied for.

The Solicitor to the Committee confirmed who was present.  Mr Kent solicitor for the applicants Mehmet Yusuf Yenibertiz and Maria Karlsson and Mrs Brown attended as an interested party.

The Licensing Officer referred to report CSL/032 which concerned the renewal of a Sexual Entertainment Venue Licence for Taboo Gentleman’s Club in Grantham.   In accordance with the Authority’s procedures, all applications relating to sex entertainment venues, with the exception of uncontested transfer applications were to be heard by the Licensing Committee.  A request had also been made to vary the opening hours.

The Police and Crime Act 2009 amended Schedule 3 to the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 to permit Local Authorities to licence sex establishments.

The applicant had submitted a renewal application on 26th April 2013 and had run a Sexual Entertainment Venue licence at the location since 2012.  The application asked for a variation to the existing hours and days the premises was open from: Monday – Sunday 09:00hrs – 03:15hrs to Monday – Sunday 03:15hrs – 04:15hrs.  On Bank Holiday weekends, Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and New Years Eve a further 45 minutes until 5:00hrs had been requested.

Three letters of objection had been received from the same person objecting to the variation and contained within the body of the letters comments pertaining to the Sexual Entertainment Venue. Two e-mails had been received from another person objecting to the variation and also making references to the Sexual Entertainment Venue.  No objections had been received from any of the responsible authorities.  A letter from the Lincolnshire Police County Licensing Sergeant was appended to the report confirming that they had no objection to the licence or variation of hours.

The Licensing Officer reminded Members that each application was to be considered and determined on its own merits and any refusal of the application had to be on certain defined mandatory or discretionary grounds as outlined within the report.

A Member asked about the closing time of other premises in the area, were the hours asked for by the applicant “out of the ordinary”.  The Licensing Officer replied that it was a matter for the committee to decide; the hours of other premises in the area varied and were not a material consideration for the application.

The interested party, Mrs Brown stated that she thought the opening hours of other premises in the area were a very relevant consideration.

Mr Kent then presented the applicants case. He referred to the previous year and that the applicants had been operating the premises for a number of years prior to the change in legislation which required the Sexual Entertainment Venue (SEV) Licence to be renewed annually.  He referred to the Premises Licence for the Premises which had already been renewed including the variation to hours which were being requested alongside the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

The meeting closed at 11.40am.