Issue - meetings

The Committee gave consideration to a report that suggested changes to the Licensing Committee’s sub-committee structure.  It was noted that the Licensing Committee was responsible for the exercise of all powers and duties of the Council in licensing and for enforcement of licensing requirements.  Some of those functions had been delegated by the Licensing Committee to its two sub-committees, the Licensing Sub-Committee and the Taxi Licensing Sub-Committee.  Following the review of the street trading policy, it was considered that as a result of these changes there would be substantially more applications for street licensing consents to be determined.  Members were requested to consider if such applications (and indeed any other applications currently determined by the parent committee) should be dealt with by a sub-committee, with the parent Licensing Committee to be responsible for strategy, policy and wider issues such as Designated Public Places Orders.

RESOLVED:

(a)       that the Taxi Licensing Sub-Committee be restructured and renamed with extended terms of reference;

(b)       that two fixed membership, politically balanced sub-committees be      established with terms of reference as follows:  “To determine          applications relating to:

·        private hire and hackney carriage driver, operator and vehicle licensing;

·        street trading consents;

·        sex shop applications;

·        pet shop licenses;

·        animal boarding licenses;

·        riding establishment licenses; and

·        charitable collections”

to be called the Licensing (Miscellaneous) Sub-Committees A and B, to be chaired by the Chairman of the Licensing Committee (or the Vice Chairman in his or her absence) to sit in strict rotation.  In addition to the Chairman, each committee will have a fixed membership from those sitting on the Licensing Committee of six.  Substitutes will be permitted provided they have met the training requirements determined by the Member Development Steering Group. 

(c)        that public speaking be permitted at such Sub-Committee meetings and authority be delegated to the Head of Legal, Equalities and Democratic Services in consultation with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Licensing Committee to determine the procedure;

(d)       that the terms of reference for the Licensing Sub-Committees be revised as follows:  “To consider and determine applications and hearings arising from the Licensing Act 2003 and the Gambling Act 2005;” and

(e)       that the new committees be trialed for a period of twelve months.