Agenda item - DPPO - Public Participation at Committee Meetings

Agenda item

DPPO - Public Participation at Committee Meetings

Minutes:

Members were asked to consider a report on proposals to introduce a new procedure for public speaking at meetings of the Licensing Committee in respect of applications for Designated Public Places Orders.

 

Members were informed that, currently, there was no procedure to enable public speaking at meetings of the Licensing Committee at which a DPPO was to be considered.  Members had requested that officers consider whether a procedure could be introduced in order to enable police officers, residents or any other consultees to speak at the Licensing Committee meetings to give relevant evidence in order to assist the Committee in making an informed decision.

 

RESOLVED:

(a)       that the introduction of public speaking at meetings of the Licensing Committee on applications for Designated Public Places Orders be agreed, and

(i)         that the police be requested to attend meetings of the Committee at which an application for a DPPO is to be considered;

(ii)        that the person, body or organisation applying for the DPPO be invited to ask one or more individuals who live or work in the area which the DPPO is proposed to cover and who may have been directly affected by alcohol-related nuisance or annoyance to attend and address the Committee meeting and answer any questions the Committee may have;

(iii)       that any parish council consulted as part of the consultation process be invited to attend and address the Committee meeting to give evidence of alcohol-related nuisance or annoyance and answer any questions the Committee may have;

(iv)       that the holder of any premises licence, club premises certificate or Temporary Event Notices (TENs) in the area which may be affected by the DPPO be invited to attend and address the Committee on the effect a DPPO may have on the licensed premises or on the TEN and to answer any questions the Committee may have;

(v)        that the applicant be allowed to address the Committee for 10 minutes to explain the reasons for the application;

(vi)       that 10 minutes be allocated to all individuals who live or work in the area which the DPPO is proposed to cover and who have been directly affected by alcohol-related nuisance or annoyance (or a spokesman on their behalf) who wish to address the Committee - if more than one individual wishes to address the Committee the time must be allocated between them;

(vii)      that 10 minutes be allocated to the police to address the Committee;

(viii)     that 10 minutes be allocated to all parish councils wishing to address the Committee - if more than one wishes to address the Committee, the time should be allocated between them;

(ix)       that 10 minutes be allocated to the holders of any premises licenses, club certificates or TENs who wish to the address the Committee - if more than one individual wishes to address the Committee the time should be allocated between them;

(x)        that the Chairman be given a discretion to extend these times with the consent of the Committee;

(xi)       that the Committee be entitled to ask questions of any person, body or organisation giving evidence and, for the avoidance of doubt, these questions should not form part of the allocated 10 minutes;

(xii)      that the Committee delegate authority to the Senior Solicitor, in consultation with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Committee, to prepare written guidance and a hearing procedure; and

(b)       that the Committee should not reconsider an application for a DPPO for the same or substantially the same area as a previous unsuccessful application for at least 12 months from the date of the previous application unless the Committee is satisfied that circumstances have substantially changed since the matter was previously considered.

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