Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Browne, Bhutia, Kemp and Prenter.

(During this period, the Conservative and Labour and Co-operative political groups had informally agreed, due the Coronavirus pandemic, to run meetings with reduced number of participants. This was to reduce risk, comply with Government guidance and enable more efficient meetings. Therefore, the apologies given reflected that informal agreement of reduced participants). 

To approve the record of the meeting held on 15 December 2020.

The record of the meeting held on 15 December 2020 was agreed and would be signed by the Chairman.

At this point in the meeting, the Committee observed a minute’s silence in memory of Medway taxi drivers who had sadly passed away due to Covid-19.

There were none.

Members are invited to disclose any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or Other Significant Interests in accordance with the Member Code of Conduct.  Guidance on this is set out in agenda item 4.

Disclosable pecuniary interests

There were none. 

Other significant interests (OSIs)

There were none.

Other interests

There were none.

To present Members with the proposed consultation methodology in respect of the three-yearly review of the Cumulative Impact Assessment.

Discussion:

The Senior Licensing Officer presented a report on the proposed consultation methodology for the three-yearly review of the Cumulative Impact Assessment. He advised that this Assessment was the evidence that justified the existence of the Cumulative Impact Policy which was contained within the Council’s Statement of Licensing Policy.

It was explained that the Cumulative Impact Policy had been introduced in 2018 following evidence of unacceptably high rates of anti-social behaviour, assaults, criminal damage, public order and sexual offences, arrests, alcohol related hospital admissions and ambulance callouts in specific areas of Medway. Although the Policy was not yet due for review, the Cumulative Impact Assessment would expire on 30 April 2021. It was therefore proposed to carry out a four-week consultation to enable the Council, as the licensing authority, to ascertain whether it remained of the view that the number of premises licences and/or club premises certificates in areas of Medway was such that it was likely that granting further licences in those areas would be inconsistent with the authority’s duty to promote the licensing objectives.

The Committee discussed the consultation methodology and was advised that the views of the public would be sought through a public notice in the press and on the Council’s website. In considering whether there was scope for direct consultation with residents in the areas where the Cumulative Impact Policy applied, it was concluded that these areas were too large to make this cost effective.

Members noted that the results of the consultation would be reported to the Committee for consideration at its meeting scheduled for 8 April 2021.

Decision:

The Committee agreed that officers should proceed with the proposed consultation methodology.