Agenda item

Decision: -

That the application for conversion and variation to a licence in respect of The Burghley Arms, 6 North Street, Bourne be agreed as submitted for the following hours for the sale of alcohol: -

10.00hrs to 00.30hrs – Monday to Sunday

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

1. That on any occasion where alcohol will be served beyond 00.00hrs, door staff will be on duty.  The level of door staff will be two for the first hundred occupants and one for every one hundred occupants thereafter.  The door staff will be on duty from at least 22.00hrs onwards.

2. A CCTV system that covers the inside of the premises and allows recordings of activity within the premises will be installed and be operational by 24^th November 2005.  All tapes will be kept for a minimum of twenty-eight days and made available to the police if required.

3. The premises will remain a member of the pubwatch scheme for so long as the scheme is in operation.

4. Where the staff suspect any customer is under the age of eighteen they will ask for identification by means of driving licence, photo card ID or any other recognised photo identification method.  All staff will be trained in the procedures in respect of identification.

5. The premises will have a maximum occupancy at a level recommended by Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue officers.  The applicant will ensure that such occupancy recommendation has been made no later than 24^th November 2005.

The committee had before them the Head of Environmental Health and Licensing’s report ENV273 in relation to an application for conversion and variation to a licence for The Burghley Arms, 6 North Street, Bourne.  A full copy of the application, including a map showing the premises, was attached at appendix one.  Representations from Lincolnshire Police were attached at appendix two. 

The Corporate Manager introduced the application and clarified those present, and who would be speaking for the applicants.  A representative from Lincolnshire Police was also present.  The Chairman sought and received confirmation that the applicants had received and understood the procedure to be followed.

In introducing the report, the Head of Environmental Health and Licensing outlined the application and referred to the existing and proposed hours, in particular the application for sixty minutes drinking up time.  He also reminded the committee that there had been an objection from the police.

The applicants’ representative referred to the letter from the police which objected to the application on a number of grounds.  He referred to a letter written on behalf of the applicants, copies of which were circulated to those present at the meeting, setting out conditions which had been drawn up to hopefully deal with the matters of concern raised by the police.  Inspector Rose confirmed that he accepted the points set out in the letter, but drew attention in particular to the last paragraph of his letter, circulated with the agenda, in relation to under-age drinking.  The licensee gave details of measures taken to prevent under-age entry and drinking.  Both licensees were SIA registered.  Members then asked a number of questions in relation to the suggested conditions from the applicants. 

Inspector Rose said that he had met the licensees to discuss incidents of crime and disorder over a two-year period.  He outlined some incidents in relation to this and also in relation to under-age drinking which he considered was not being properly addressed.  He was of the view that any hours extensions granted would only exacerbate the problem.  In response to a question, Inspector Rose said that the premises had a reputation as a young drinkers’ pub and in his view it was not being managed properly.  The licensees and their representative responded to the police comments and said that some of the incidents were, in their opinion, not true and that they took great pains to supervise their own premises properly.

In summarising the report the Head of Environmental Health and Licensing reminded members that the application was for an extension to 3am, with alcohol sales to 2am.  He asked members to note the police objections, particularly with regard to under-age drinking, and also drew attention to the conditions suggested by the applicants’ representative.

The applicants’ representative, in summarising the application, pointed out that the late hours in Bourne were dominated by other premises.  If The Burghley Arms was given radically different hours then there would clearly be a monopoly.  Many incidents reported to the police were not directly related to the pub, as alcohol could be obtained elsewhere and it was wrong to penalise the applicants because of this.  They had confirmed that they would do all they could to minimise the problems.

The applicants, their representative, officers and police then left the room.

The committee then considered the application in detail, taking into account the objections from the police and the suggested conditions circulated by the applicants.  It was proposed and seconded that the application be agreed subject to alcohol sales ending at 00.30hrs on each day, subject to thirty minutes drinking up time and subject to the five conditions specified in the letter circulated by the applicants.

The applicants, their representative, officers and police representative then returned to the meeting.  In advising those present of the decision, the Corporate Manager expressed the committee’s concern at the suggestions of under-age drinking and crime and disorder issues associated with these premises referred to by the police, before advising of the decision, as noted above.  He also advised that the decision could be reviewed at any time by any interested party.

(12.53pm – Councillors Howard and H G Wheat left the meeting)