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Meeting Details

Renfrewshire Licensing Forum
4 Oct 2021 - 14:00 to 16:00
Occurred
  • Documents
  • Attendance
  • Visitors
  • Declarations of Interests

Documents

Agenda

Agenda
Notification
Committee Members
Standard Items
Membership
C Cardosi; C Dickson; M Dymond; F Hewitt; S McLean; P Pieraccini; D Reid; I Robertson.
Chair
M Dymond, Convener.
M Dymond, Convener, presided.
Recording of Meeting

This meeting will be recorded for subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site. If you have any queries regarding this please contact Committee Services on 01416187103.

To find the recording please follow the link which will be attached to this agenda once the meeting has concluded.

Prior to the commencement of the meeting the Convener intimated that this meeting of the Forum would be recorded and that the recording would be available to watch on the Council's website.
Items Of Business
Apologies
Apologies from members.
Declarations of Interest
Members are asked to declare an interest in any item(s) on the agenda and to provide a brief explanation of the nature of the interest.
There were no declarations of interest intimated prior to the commencement of the meeting.
Minute of meeting held on 9 September 2020.
1a
There was submitted the Minute of the previous meeting of the Renfrewshire Licensing Forum held on 9 September 2020.
 
DECIDED: That the Minute be approved.
Note of inquorate meeting of the Joint Licensing Board/Licensing Forum.
1b
There was submitted the note of the inquorate joint meeting of the Licensing Board and Licensing Forum of 18 November 2020.

DECIDED: That the note be noted.

Note of inquorate meeting of Renfrewshire Licensing Forum held on 3 February 2021.
1c
There was submitted the note of the inquorate meeting of the Renfrewshire Licensing Forum on 3 February 2021.

DECIDED: That the note be noted.
2 Matters Arising
2
DECIDED: It was noted that there were no matters arising from the previous Minute.
Verbal report by Police Scotland representative on local licensing
issues.
3
Sergeant I Robertson, Police Scotland, provided a verbal update on local licensing issues which had arisen since the last meeting of the Forum 9 September 2020.

He indicated that 362 inspections of licensed premises had taken place since the last report and a number of reviews had been undertaken, mainly in respect of problematic premises. It was noted that where these managers had been replaced, a marked difference in licence-holders' engagement with the Police had been noted. He further advised that the proxy purchasing scheme in terms of off-sales premises had been promoted and as a result, the Licensing Board had temporarily suspended some licences.

Sergeant Robertson advised of work being undertaken with the Council and other partners in relation to other aspects of licensing such as car wash premises and scrap metal dealers which had resulted in charges being brought by Scottish Power, and by SEPA in relation to landfill sites. In addition, he referred to work to be carried out over the festive period in relation to raising awareness of vulnerable people around alcohol.

Sergeant Robertson was then heard in answer to questions from Forum members on the content of the report.

DECIDEDThat the report be noted.
Verbal report by the Licensing Standards Officer on local licensing
issues.
4
C Dickson, Licensing Standards Officer (LSO), provided an update in relation to licensing activity undertaken since September 2020.  

He advised that there were currently 432 licensed premises in the Renfrewshire area and that the Licensing Board had agreed that for on-sales premises the annual renewal fee would be waived in light of restrictions imposed during the period as a result of the pandemic, and that 256 letters had been issued to the premises covered by the waiver. He indicated that the premises in question included pubs restaurants, hotels and clubs but did not apply to off-sales premises which had mostly been open during the period.

The Licensing Standards Officer indicated that the number of personal licence holder applications had reduced by approximately one third from 105 to 57.

The Licensing Standards Officer was then heard in answer to questions from Forum members on the content of the report.

DECIDED: That the update be noted.
Report by the Clerk to the Licensing Board.
5
There was submitted a report by the Clerk to the Licensing Board relative to the Annual Functions Report  for 2020/21 in terms of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005.

The Forum was advised that the Annual Report had been prepared by Renfrewshire Licensing Board in terms of Section 9A of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, which required the report to include the following: -

(a) A statement explaining how the Board has had regard to i) the licensing objectives; and ii) Their licensing policy statement, in the exercise of their functions under the Act during the financial year; (b) A summary of the decisions made by (or on behalf of) the Board during the financial year; and (c) Information about the number of licences held under the Act in the Board’s area (including occasional licences).

It was noted that he Board might also include other information about the exercise of the Board’s functions as the Board considers appropriate.

The report indicated that the Act set out the Licensing Objectives which were preventing crime and disorder; securing public safety; preventing public nuisance; protecting and improving public health; and protecting children and young persons from harm.

The report also provided a summary of decisions and information about licences held; the Licensing Policy Statement; Further actions of the Board relating to the Licensing Objectives; and the conclusion that the Board was satisfied that, in all decisions made in the financial year 2020/21, the Board and its officers had had regard to the Licensing Objectives and the Board’s Statement of Licensing Policy in their exercise of functions under the Act. The Board had taken firm action when necessary for the Licensing Objectives. At the same time, the Board appreciated the considerable challenges which faced the licensed trade and continued to encourage and support them to maintain good practice in their premises for the benefit of the people of Renfrewshire.

DECIDED: That the report be noted.
Report by the Clerk to the Licensing Board. 
6
There was submitted a report by the Clerk to the Licensing Board relative to the extension of hours for the festive period 2021/22 under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005.

The report advised that it has been the normal practice of the Renfrewshire Licensing Board to make a policy for extended hours for the festive period each year. In previous years, this policy was considered at the Board’s October quarterly meeting under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976 regime and a similar practice had continued under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, except in 2020/21 due to public health measures being in place.

The report indicated that the Board had in terms of its current Statement of Licensing Policy at Paragraph 15.4 set out the following:-

“The Board has an existing practice permitting longer licensed hours over the festive
period and that will continue to be the case. The festive period for the purposes of
this aspect of the policy will be determined by the Board on an annual basis.”

Accordingly, the Board now required to determine the festive period for such longer
licensed hours to apply for the festive period 2021/22. It was noted that many premises licence holders when making an application for a premises licence to the Board included within the Seasonal Variations section of their applications a reference to the hours to be determined by the Board in respect of their festive policy to be applied to their licences as a seasonal variation. Accordingly, such licence- holders would not require to make further application to the Board for “extended hours” to cover the festive period determined by the Board. Other licence holders who had not included a seasonal variation in their operating plans were required to submit separate applications for extended hours.

The report provided details in relation to the following: -

Consultation on Festive Policy; 
Proposed Festive Policy Hours; 
Last date for applications; and
Requirement for notification.

The Assistant Managing Solicitor (Licensing) advised that the proposed hours had been agreed at the last meeting of the Licensing Board, and that members of the Forum had been consulted on the proposals. 

DECIDED: That the report be noted.
7 Alcohol Focus Scotland
7d
E Focus Newsletter – June 2021

There was submitted the Alcohol Focus Scotland newsletter for June 2021.

DECIDED: That the newsletter be noted
September 2020.
7a
E Focus Newsletter – September 2020

There was submitted the Alcohol Focus Scotland newsletter for September 2020.

DECIDED: That the newsletter be noted.


October 2020.
7b
E Focus Newsletter – October 2020 

There was submitted the Alcohol Focus Scotland newsletter for October 2020.

DECIDED: That the newsletter be noted.
March 2021.
7c
E Focus Newsletter – March 2021

There was submitted the Alcohol Focus Scotland newsletter for March 2021.

DECIDED: That the newsletter be noted.
 
June 2021.
7e
E Focus Newsletter – July 2021

There was submitted the Alcohol Focus Scotland newsletter for July 2021.

DECIDED: That the newsletter be noted.
 
July 2021.
7f
E Focus Newsletter – August 2021

There was submitted the Alcohol Focus Scotland newsletter for August 2021.

DECIDED: That the newsletter be noted.
 
August 2021.
Report by Clerk.
8
There was submitted a report by the Clerk relative to proposed arrangements for meetings of the Forum until September 2022.

The report advised that in terms of the Constitution approved at the meeting of the Forum held on 2 October 2007, there was a requirement for the Forum to meet no less than four times per year and for one of these meetings to be a joint meeting with Renfrewshire Licensing Board.

It had been the custom and practice that the Forum met on a quarterly basis, with meetings being held during February or March, April or May, August or September and October or November. 

The report proposed that meetings of the Forum be held on:-

Monday 7 February 2022;
Monday 23 May 2022; and
Monday 12 September 2022.

In response to a question regarding the date of the Joint Licensing Board/Licensing Forum meeting, the Clerk intimated that he intended to consult with the Convener of the Board following this meeting and advise Forum members once a date had been identified.

DECIDED: That the proposed dates for future meetings until September 2022, as detailed in the report, be approved.

Attendance

Name
No other member attendance information has been recorded for the meeting.
NameReason for Sending Apology
Ms Colette Cardosi 
Ms Fiona Hewitt 
NameReason for Absence
No absentee information has been recorded for the meeting.

Declarations of Interests

Member NameItem Ref.DetailsNature of DeclarationAction
No declarations of interest have been entered for this meeting.

Visitors

Visitor Information is not yet available for this meeting