Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Christian Holliday, Michael Illman, Nigel Manning and Marsha Moseley.

In accordance with the local Code of Conduct, a councillor is required to disclose at the meeting any disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI) that they may have in respect of any matter for consideration on this agenda.  Any councillor with a DPI must notparticipate in any discussion or vote regarding that matter and they must also withdraw from the meeting immediately before consideration of the matter.

If that DPI has not been registered, the councillor must notify the Monitoring Officer of the details of the DPI within 28 days of the date of the meeting.

No disclosures of interest were declared.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting of the Licensing Committee held on 30 May 2018.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 30 May 2018.

To receive any announcements from the Chairman of the Committee.

The Chairman reminded everyone of the training planned for 2 October Licensing Act 2003 Refresher and 22 November 2018 Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing from 7pm – 9pm provided by James Button.

That the Committee considers the draft Licensing of Sex Establishments Policy 2018-2021 following the public consultation, and recommends its adoption by the Executive at its meeting on 23 October 2018.

The Committee received a report on the licensing of sex establishments: Statement of Licensing Policy 2018-2021 that had been updated and approved for public consultation by Licensing Committee on 30 May 2018. 

The Policing and Crime Act 2009 amended the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 Schedule 3 to introduce a new classification of sex establishment, namely sexual entertainment venues.  This brought a new licensing regime into force for lap dancing, pole dancing and other “relevant entertainment”.  The provisions allow the Council to improve the regulation of sexual entertainment venues, as there are increased powers to control numbers and location of venues in the area.  There are currently no licensed sexual entertainment venues in the Borough.  Following the consultation, the responses did not indicate any changes were required to the draft policy consulted upon.  The Sexual Entertainment Venue Policy will be reviewed every three years. 

The Committee having considered the report

RESOLVED

That the Committee notes the results of the public consultation on the draft licensing of Sex Establishments Policy 2018-2021 and recommends the policy for approval by the Executive at its meeting on 23 October 2018.

The Licensing Committee is requested to note the work undertaken and proposal to introduce a list of designated vehicles.

The Committee received a report on the Equality Act 2010 – designation of list of wheelchair accessible vehicles. 

The Council intended to publish a list of designated wheelchair accessible vehicles, which ensured that the Council complied with best practice in order to offer enhanced protection to wheelchair users. Drivers with accessible vehicles were written to, requesting that they notify the Council if they did not wish to be included on the list.

The current Taxi and Private Hire Policy 2015-2020 adopted on the 9 December 2015 and subsequent revision on 8 February 2018 introduced positive changes to protect public safety by introducing livery for taxis, door signs for private hire vehicles and the requirement for drivers to complete the BTEC Level 2 Certificate in the Introduction to the Role of the Professional Taxi and Private Hire Driver (QCF).

On 6 April 2017, the Government commenced sections 165 to 167 of the Equality Act 2010 increasing the protection from discrimination afforded to wheelchair users who wish to travel in taxis or private hire vehicles.

As maintaining a list is discretionary, a decision to maintain a list and the accessibility requirements for inclusion on the list will be made by the Director of Community Services.

The Committee having considered the report

RESOLVED:

To note the work undertaken and proposal to introduce a list of designated vehicles.

The Committee to receive a verbal update on Purple Flag and Best Bar None.

The Committee received a verbal update on the purple flag awards, which was in its fifth consecutive year.  The Purple Flag standard was launched in 2012 and was an accreditation process similar to the Green Flag award for parks and the Blue Flag award for beaches.  The aim of the Purple Flag was to raise standards and broaden the appeal of town and city centres between the hours of 5pm and 5am.  Purple Flag recognised the need to have a vibrant and diverse mix of dining as well as promoting the safety and wellbeing of Guildford residents.  Purple Flag liaised with a number of stakeholders including the Police, Street Angels and Pubwatch.  A survey had been carried out and 93% of respondents said that they felt safe whilst on a night out in Guildford and a third of those asked had heard of Purple Flag.  Next year the group aims to increase awareness of Purple Flag and to extend existing links with higher education organisations to promote collaboration.  Guildford town was assessed on a night out, Pubwatch was very impressed with the levels of safety, and the participation of pubs and clubs in the working group was good.  Welcome and Information packs were excellent and well received but more work was to be done.

In response to a query raised, the Licensing Team Leader confirmed that Guildford was the only town in Surrey to have received Purple Flag status consistently for the last five years.  Approximately, 70 cities across the UK and Ireland had been awarded the purple flag and some of them had held it since its launch in 2012.

The Best Bar None awards were launched in 2013 and invited the town’s licensed venues to sign up for an assessment of their business and the chance to attain accreditation of the scheme.  It was a nationally acclaimed award celebrating best practice amongst the licensed trade showcasing the hard work and commitment of Guildford’s venues to create and run a safe and responsible town centre.  It helped the public make an informed decision when it comes to choosing a venue for a night out.  All venues had been assessed and met the standards at a much higher level than the minimum required. 

Guildford’s Best Bar None winners celebrated on the 11 June 2018. The awards were delivered by Experience Guildford in partnership with the Council.  We had a total of eighteen venues who gained accreditation this year across five categories covering best bar, best pub, best restaurant and best late night venue.  Each venue was assessed and judged by the panel against the four licensing objectives, which included the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, prevention of nuisance and protection of children from harm.

The overall winner was Rubix Nightclub, the Three Pigeons for the best pub, the Mandolay for the best bar and TGI Fridays for the best restaurant.

That the Licensing Committee notes its work programme for 2018-19.

The Committee noted its Work Programme for 2018-19.