Issue - meetings

To consider the creation of Sub-Committees of the Licensing Committee and to establish the protocol for arranging meetings of the Sub-Committees.

The Committee considered a report relating to the creation of Sub-Committees of the Licensing Committee and the establishment of a protocol for arranging meetings of the Sub-Committees.

At its meeting on 9 December 2008, Council had resolved to create a Licensing Committee, which would then establish Sub-Committees of three members to deal with matters under the Licensing Act 2003 and the Gambling Act 2003, and Sub-Committees of five Members to deal with ‘general’ licensing matters such as the licensing of hackney carriage and private hire vehicles and drivers.  In addition, in relation to the ‘general’ sub-committee of five, Council had resolved to waive the requirement of political proportionality and had resolved to require that, subject to availability, at least one of the five members should be the Chairman or Vice-Chairman of the full Committee.

In relation to a Premises Licence application and the ‘general’ sub-committee of five, it was suggested that, wherever possible, one of the members of the Sub-Committee should be a Member representing an area covered by the relevant preceding district council, who would have knowledge of the area to which application related.  It would be for each Member to determine, in accordance with the Code of Conduct, whether they had a personal and prejudicial interest in an item and were therefore unable to take part in the meeting.

It was also suggested that, in order to ensure flexibility, efficiency and a fair distribution of work between Members of the Committee, membership of the sub-committees should be selected on a rotational ad hoc basis, subject to the availability of Members.

RESOLVED

(a)  That Sub-Committees consisting of three Members of the Licensing Committee be established to deal with matters under the Licensing Act 2003 and the Gambling Act 2003, and that the quorum of such Sub-Committees be three.

(b)  That Sub-Committees consisting of five Members of the Licensing Committee, of which at least one shall, subject to availability, be the Chairman or Vice Chairman of the full Committee, be established to deal with ‘general’ licensing matters, and that the quorum of such Sub-Committees be three.

(c)          That the following protocol be adopted for arranging meetings of the Sub-Committees:

·         Wherever possible members of the sub-committee should be representative of each of the preceding district councils

·         Membership of the Sub-Committees should be selected on a rotational ad hoc basis, subject to the availability of Members

·         Sub-Committee meetings should take place in the area covered by the relevant preceding district council, subject to the availability of suitable venues

(d)  That the Democratic Services Officer be requested to draw up a list of suitable venues in the Cheshire East area, in which Sub-Committee meetings could be held