Agenda item - Chair's Communications

The Chair gave the following communications:

Thank you for attending the recent licensing training given by Jim and Rebecca, which included our special policy on cumulative impact. The licensing authority are required to publish a cumulative impact assessment every 3 years in order to review the special policy the consultation a paper on this policy will be brought to our October committee meeting for members to decide.  

Our Statement of  Licensing policy has to be reviewed every 5 years and officers will start consulting with relevant groups and key partners next year prior to going out to public consultation. This follows the consultation on the special policy on cumulative impact and that consultation forms part of a programme that gets us to the destination of a refreshed and updated Statement of Licensing Policy 

Public safety is paramount in licensing and I’m keen that we consult with those groups that might be adversely affected by the night-time economy, especially LGBTQ groups, women and students. A lot of work has been done to develop strategies and initiatives to prevent VAWG (violence against women and girls) and keep people safe, and I’m keen that this is reflected within our Statement of Licensing Policy. 

Some of the safeguarding initiatives that the licensing authority and partners already do are highlighted in the Annual report which we will consider shortly. 

I note the recent “Notice of Motion” regarding the “Get Me Home Safely” scheme which was discussed at Full Council in February.  

As part of review of the Statement of licensing Policy we intend to make reference to the Get Me Home Safely scheme, highlighting it as good practice for venues to adopt, as well as strengthening other safeguarding measures such as the prevention of modern slavery and violence against women and girls. Officers will engage with key partners and stakeholders next year before going out to public consultation. 

I’m looking forward to attending the next Licensing Strategy Group, which is a multi-agency group that meets every 3 months with a wide-ranging membership of council officers, emergency services, support agencies, licensing trade reps, resident groups and university reps. 

Finally, I understand that in previous years Police licensing along with Operation Marble have offered to give members a tour of night-time economy, so I look forward to finding out about that from officers. 

And if any members would like to attend a short training session on licensing panel hearings Rebecca has kindly agreed to do a 30 mins refresher after committee (by the way I also found the training videos on the LGA and Cornerstone barrister websites ).