Agenda and minutes

The Panel is requested to elect a Chairman for the hearing in line with rules agreed by the Licensing and Safety Committee. 

Councillor Mrs Diane Chambers was elected Chairman for this meeting.

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Browne. Councillor McDonald, as the fourth Member, joined the Panel.

To agree that the Chairman, after consultation with the other members of the Panel, sign the record of this meeting outside the meeting. 

It was agreed that the Chairman, after consultation with the other members of the Panel, would sign the record of this meeting outside the meeting. 

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 5.

Disclosable pecuniary interests

There were none.

Other significant interests (OSIs)

There were none.

Other interests

There were none.

The applicant Stardust Festivals Ltd, has applied for the grant of a Premises Licence in respect of Great Lines Heritage Park, Brompton Road, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 5DH. 

Representations have been received from the Police and the Environmental Protection Team although the latter were subsequently withdrawn following agreement with the applicant on proposed conditions.

Discussion:

The Chairman asked those present to introduce themselves and explained the process that the hearing would follow as outlined in the agenda.

Kent Police produced additional information prior to the hearing but as one of the documents was requested as being restricted, it was agreed by the Panel that all the information would not be included or considered as part of the hearing. 

The Senior Licensing Officer stated that, in accordance with the Licensing Act 2003, the Council had received an application from Stardust Festivals Ltd to grant a Premises Licence in respect ofGreat Lines Heritage Park, Brompton Road, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 5DH.

The application requested a 4-day event per calendar year for films, plays, live and recorded music, performance of dance for the following hours: -

Friday 1700-2200, Saturday 1100-2230, Sunday 1030-1830 and Monday 1030 – 1830 and in addition the supply of alcohol on the premises on Friday 1700-2145, Saturday 1100-2200, Sunday 1400-2130 and Monday 1030-1830. 

The Senior Licensing Officer explained that a copy of the application, the local plan, additional documents provided with volunteered and agreed conditions between the Applicant and the Environmental Protection Team, the Noise Management Plan, advertisement of the event, Kent Police’s submission and the Applicant’s response to the Police’s objections were all Appendices included in the agenda.  

The proposed licensable activities for the Monday were not included with the initial application and were missing from the initial application form at Appendix A.  The Licensing Team were made aware that Monday should be included but due to an oversight the amendment to the application was not passed to the Responsible Authorities until 22 December 2022.

The Senior Licensing Officer confirmed that the application had been correctly advertised in the local press, which included the Monday, and notices had been displayed at the premises for the required timescales, Appendix E in the agenda showed a copy of the blue notice.   

Representatives from the Environmental Protection Team had since been withdrawn following an agreement with the application on the proposed conditions.

The Chairman invited the Applicant’s representative, Philip Kolvin KC, to present the application.

Mr Kolvin KC Legal Representative for the Stardust Festivals Ltd explained the licence was for a 4-day festival at the Great Lines Heritage Park on the last May Back Holiday weekend.  He explained Friday 26 May would be an opera / classical event which would finish at 2145 with a capacity of 5,000 people.  Saturday would be a dance event which would finish at 2200 with a capacity of 25,000 people with the usual array of bars, food concessions and fairground rides.  Sunday - 80’s, 90’s and 00’s dance music event which would finish by 2130 with a capacity of 15,000 people and Monday, a family community day finishing at 1800 with a capacity of 15,000 people including arts and crafts, food, fairground rides and a children’s disco.  These would all contribute to a diverse mix which was needed to support the area, economically.

He confirmed Kent Police had objected  ...  view the full minutes text for item 560.

It is recommended that the Panel exclude an Appendix from the press and public and also exclude the press and public from the meeting during the decision-making process for the reasons set out in the report. 

Decision:

The press and public were excluded from the meeting during the Panel’s deliberations and decision making in respect of agenda item 6, because consideration of this matter in public would disclosure information falling within paragraph 5 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, as specified in agenda item 7 (Exclusion of the Press and Public) and, in all the circumstances of the case, the Panel considered that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.