Agenda item - Premises licence applicationsfor shared work places

Report of the Executive Director, Communities and Housing (copy attached)

RESOLVED - (1) That the Committee note the contents of the report;

(2) That Members concerns about alcohol in shared workplaces are fed into the 2020 review of the SoLP with a view to creating a new category in the Matrix; and

(3) That the Licensing Team scrutinise operating schedules of application for shared workplaces and ask applicants/landlords/managing agents to provide details of their alcohol workplace policy.

27.1    The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director, Neighbourhoods, Communications and Housing advising that following a rise in applications being received by the council for Premises Licences to be issued to companies who either operated or operated within, premises that offered shared workspaces, officers had been asked by members to explore what clarification and guidance could be offered to the Licensing Committee when scrutinising and dealing with similar applications in the future.

27.2    For the purpose of this report, a shared workplace or shared workspace had been defined as being a building that has been converted into office space, which was operated overall by one company that rented workspace to many different entrepreneurs and small businesses. Its general offering was of hot-desk working, meeting spaces, single or team desk hire and/or private office space, etc., usually to freelance workers and/or small or medium businesses who did not want to rent offices of their own. Customers who rented such office spaces are often termed ‘members’ of the applicant companies, however this term was not the same as members of clubs operating under a Club Premises Certificate. Licensing Guidance, issued under Section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003, stated that each application must be considered on its own merits. While the council’s Statement of Licensing Policy (SoLP) provided some guidance within its matrix approach on terminal times for licensable activities in pubs, cafes and restaurants, etc., it does not provide specific guidance for premises that could be defined as shared workplaces. The SoLP referred to non-alcohol led premises in its Matrix Approach table; however, evidence suggested that previous licensing panels had not been keen to apply this definition to shared workplaces. This report looked into whether clarification on shared workplaces could be provided to the Licensing Committee for instances where Premises Licences were applied for.

27.3    Councillor Page stated that he found the report informative but was also very concerned at this new issue which was emerging would could serve to exacerbate alcohol related problems in the city and could result in individuals behaving inappropriately or increasing risk to personal safety in the workplace.

27.4    Councillor Hyde echoed those concerns and asked whether it would be possible for the Licensing Authority to amend its Statement of Licensing Policy to address Members very real concerns.

27.5    Councillor Wares commended the report stating that he considered that it would be appropriate for members concerns and the feedback received to date to feed into the SoLP with a view to officers creating a new category in the matrix which could be brought back to the Committee for approval.

27.6    Councillor O’Quinn, the Chair stated that she had considered it timely for a report to be brought to Committee to apprise Members of the situation in order to enable them to determine how they wished to proceed. She was of the view that the SoLP needed to be amended/added to in order to address this issue.

27.7    Councillor Deane concurred with all that had been said and further suggested that paragraph 2.3 of the recommendations be amended as set out  below to make it more all-encompassing. Members agreed unanimously to the proposed amendment.

27.8    RESOLVED - (1) That the Committee note the contents of the report;

(2) That Members concerns about alcohol in shared workplaces are fed into the 2020 review of the SoLP with a view to creating a new category in the Matrix; and

(3) That the Licensing Team scrutinise operating schedules of application for shared workplaces and ask applicants/landlords/managing agents to provide details of their alcohol workplace policy.