Agenda item

Decision:-

(1)   That the application for conversion and variation to a licence in respect of Club IT, Westgate Hall, Grantham be agreed as submitted for the following hours for the sale of alcohol:-

21.00hrs – 03.00hrs – Monday to Sunday

and subject to thirty minutes drinking up time, and subject also to the following conditions:-

1.      CCTV be operated during opening hours and any recordings from the system to be made available immediately to the Police after a reasonable request and be retained for no less than twenty-eight days.

2.      Door staff to remain present until the close of the premises when open after midnight and that the number of door staff accord with South Kesteven District Council public entertainment licensing conditions.

(2)   That the request to remove the requirement for new members not to be admitted to the club for at least 48 hours be not allowed.

The committee had before them the Head of Environmental Health and Licensing’s report ENV325 in relation to an application for conversion and variation to a licence for Club IT, Westgate Hall, Grantham. A full copy of the application was attached at appendix one together with a map showing the premises. Comments from Lincolnshire Police were attached at appendix two. A copy of the applicant’s Public Entertainment Licence was circulated at the meeting.

The applicant and his representative were present at the meeting as well as the police representative, all of whom were introduced.

In introducing his report, the Head of Environmental Health and Licensing drew to members’ attention the proposed hours of operation and other variations from the existing licence. The applicant had also requested removal of a requirement concerning membership. Representations from the police had been received. 

The applicant’s representative presented the case on behalf of the applicant. The applicant had requested that the requirement for new members not to be admitted to the club for at least 48 hours be removed. The representative stated that this requirement was not necessary for these premises as a club because admission was charged. He also stated that a restriction on operating hours would be in conflict with the essence of the Licensing Act 2003, as staggered opening hours would ease pressures on local police, who had also been given increased powers. Upon questioning from the committee, the applicant’s representative confirmed the willingness to agree to the request from the police concerning CCTV.

The police representative then confirmed the representations contained within the police’s letter. In addition to this, it was requested that door staff remain until closing time if open after midnight, in numbers according to the Council’s existing conditions. He reaffirmed the objection to later opening hours, on the basis of crime and disorder and he detailed incidents on the premises reported within the past 10 months. In response to an earlier comment from the applicant’s representative, he commented that although police had been given increased powers, they had not received increased resources. He also commented that staggered closing hours were not likely to resolve any crime and disorder issues, merely delay their occurrence until a later time when police resources were lessened thereby conflicting with the licensing objectives. He drew from a statement from the Department of Culture, Media and Sports stating that where an application would undermine these objectives, public interest should prevail. He stated that the police would not object to opening hours up to 03.00hrs.

The applicant’s representatives discussed these issues with the police representative. It was stated that the police had been working with the applicant to reduce crime and disorder and that incidents to which the police referred had occurred during the applicant’s operation of the premises. The police were not aware of any incidents at the premises concerning underage consumption of alcohol. Upon questioning from the committee, the police representative stipulated that membership of the club provided a deterrent to admission of casual drinkers.

The Head of Environmental Health and Licensing summed up his report. The applicant’s representative, in summing up his case, acknowledged the point of the police representative concerning members’ admission but insisted that admission charge was a sufficient deterrent to casual drinkers. He stated that the intention of Parliament would be thwarted if insufficient police resources was the only reason to disapprove the application.

The applicant, his representative, the police representative and the officers then left the room. The committee considered the application. It was proposed and seconded that in light of the very serious crime and disorder issues, hours for the sale of alcohol be limited to 03.00hrs, the request for additional drinking up time be granted, that conditions be imposed relating to CCTV and door staff and that the request to remove the requirement concerning membership be not allowed given the benefits of reducing admission to casual drinkers. On being put to the vote, this was agreed.

The applicant, his representative, the police representative and the officers then returned to the meeting and were informed of the decision, as noted above.

(The meeting adjourned from 10.50a.m. to 11.18a.m.)