Agenda and draft minutes

The Chair opened the meeting, introducing the Licensing Sub-committee Members and Torridge District Council staff present. 

The Councillors present declared that they had no personal or pecuniary interest in the application.

The Chair asked the Applicant and Witness to identify themselves.

The Chair asked the representatives of the Responsible Authorities to identify themselves.

The procedure for the hearing was explained and the Lead Licensing Officer was invited to present his report.

The Lead Licensing Officer explained that the hearing had been convened to consider an application for a premises licence for The Bar, 32 Nelson Road, Westward Ho!  Representations had been received and therefore, in accordance with legislation, the application must now be determined by a sub-Committee of the Council’s Licensing Committee.

Background information was provided together with details of the licensable activities and licensed hours applied for.  The Lead Licensing told the Sub-Committee that the key concern in the representations, received from Environmental Health and Planning, related to the “Prevention of Noise Nuisance” objective. He also outlined the policy issues relevant to the application and informed the Sub-Committee that when considering the application they must have regard to guidance published under s.182 of the Act, the Council’s Statement of Licensing Policy and the evidence presented during the hearing. 

The Chair thanked the Lead Licensing Officer for his report and asked Members if they had any questions.  The Chair sought an update on the planning application and was advised that planning was ongoing.

The Chair invited the Applicant to make her submission.

Mrs Bright addressed the Sub-Committee, making the following points:

·         There was a licensed premises next door to The Bar, licensed to 23.30/00.00 hours.  There was also a take-away and a restaurant.  It was felt the traffic attending these premises may well bring the same people as would attend The Bar.

·         Smoking - The Bar could only accommodate approximately 30 people.  Statistics suggested that 1 in 6 people smoke.  Therefore, it was anticipated there would be no more than 5 smokers outside the premises at any one time.

·         Signs would be displayed in the premises that drinks should not be taken outside.

·         The menus would carry information about taxis and the staff would call for taxis for their customers.  This would ensure people were not congregating outside.  Furthermore, there would be a proportion of customers who would walk to and from the premises.

The Environment Protection Officer was invited to present the representations of the Responsible Authority.  He told the Sub-Committee that the Environmental Protection Team had made representation on 7 June on receipt of the application. The concerns related to noise, both internally, as the premises was in a mixed commercial and residential area, with dwellings above The Bar, and externally with the congregation of smokers and the arrival and departure of customers. 

Since the initial objection, the Applicant had commissioned an Acoustic Consultant to carry out sound tests and to ascertain whether there was sufficient sound insulation.  Environmental Health had been satisfied with the assessment methods and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1.