Agenda item - Public Health Framework for Assessing Alcohol Licensing 2021 Review

Report of the Executive Director, Housing, Neighbourhoods and Communities (circulated separately)

RESOLVED –

1.     That the committee note the contents of the report.

2.     That the Public Health framework for assessing alcohol licensing report should continue to be used to develop licensing policy and assess premises licence applications.

30A.1The Committee considered a report by the Executive Director of Housing, Neighbourhoods and Communities, which set out the review of the Annual report entitled ‘Public Health framework for assessing alcohol licensing’.

30A.2  The report was presented by the Regulatory Services Manager.  He informed Members that the Licensing Authority at Brighton and Hove was one of the first in the country to integrate Public Health into its Licensing Policy.  The “Public Health Framework for Assessing Licensing” document was updated annually.  It was presented on a ward-by-ward basis and provided an analysis of crime and disorder and health data.  He introduced the Senior Public Health and Community Safety Analyst and the Public Health Intelligence Specialist who had led on the production of the framework document.   

30a.3  The Senior Public Health and Community Safety Analyst presented some slides and a live demonstration of the Public Health framework.

30a.4  In response to a question from Councillor Moonan, the Senior Public Health and Community Safety Analyst advised that in terms of super output areas and crime data, she received a download from Sussex Police for crime and incident data every month and this included specific locations, so further analysis could be carried out.  However, because of the presence of around 150 LSOAs (Lower Layer Super Output Areas) in the city it would be too unruly to include this data in the framework document.

30a.5  Councillor O’Quinn said the document was incredibly helpful for Licensing Panels because it gave Members an outline of what was going on the city.  She asked if data regarding hospital admissions and ambulance call outs would be made available.  The Senior Public Health and Community Safety Analyst said in terms of health data they had stuck to the same indicators that were previously incorporated, including hospital and accident and emergency admissions.  She confirmed the framework document would be available once they had liaised with the web team about hosting it.

30a.7  Councillor Shanks asked if gender and age data would be included.  The Senior Public Health and Community Safety Analyst said age and gender breakdowns were not available but this analysis was done as part of the strategic assessment which would be published in April 2022. 

30a.8  In response to a question from Councillor Simson, the Regulatory Services Manager advised that the document would be on the council’s website and available for use by anyone. He explained that Licensing Officers had used it since 2013 to make representations against licensing applications.  In terms of making residents aware, he explained there would be a link on the website which would signpost residents to the framework document. 

30a.9  Cllr Simson thanked officers for their work.

RESOLVED –

1.     That the committee note the contents of the report.

2.     That the Public Health framework for assessing alcohol licensing report should continue to be used to develop licensing policy and assess premises licence applications.