Agenda item - Chair's Communications

            Visit to a Betting Office

3.1       The Chair referred to her recent visit to a Ladbrokes betting office which she understood was very well run; she had been able to observe different elements of its operation and it had been an interesting experience.

Setting up Licensing Panel Hearings

3.2       The Chair explained that although aware that Members had very full diaries she thought it was important to remind Members of the importance of volunteering to sit on Licensing Panels whenever they were able to do so. Whilst it was understood that Members had a number of conflicting commitments which meant that their availability was limited but there had been several “near misses” where it had been not possible to raise a Panel, this could have resulted in an untenable legal situation and could have compromised the Council’s position. The Panels were the “nuts and bolts” of the Committees’ work and were the place where its policies were applied; it went without saying therefore that they were very important.

3.3       It was explained in answer to questions that when licence applications came in was beyond the control of the Licensing Team or Democratic Services as once submitted there was a statutory timeline within which a Panel comprised of Members of the parent Committee needed to meet and determine it. Suitable accommodation also had to be found and booked. The majority of applications did not come before a Panel (this is only the case when there were objections which were not withdrawn as a result of the negotiation process) and the relatively few that did come forward do therefore require determination by the Committee.

3.4       Councillor Robins stated that it might be beneficial if alternative timings and locations could be put forward and the Democratic Services Officer confirmed that as far as possible they would factor this in within the constraints placed upon the process. If Members had limited or alternative availability e.g., would prefer afternoons if they let the Democratic Services Team know they would try and accommodate that although it was reiterated that Panels had to be arranged within a very narrow window which means there is limited flexibility around the timing of hearing dates. Councillor Simson stated that Brighton Town Hall was the preferred location of those Members who attended hearings on a regular basis, that should be taken account of too.

3.5       RESOLVED – That the position be noted.