Agenda and draft minutes

The Licensing Panel considered the appointment of a Chairman for the meeting.

Resolved:

That Councillor Hunter be appointed Chairman for the meeting.

Members are asked to declare any interests in the items under consideration and in doing so state:-

(1) the type of interest concerned

(2) the nature of the interest concerned; and

(3) whether they have or have not sat on a Planning Committee which has previously considered a planning application in respect of a licensed premises which is also subject to consideration for a premises licence as part of the agenda for this meeting.

If any Member requires advice on declarations of interests, they are advised to contact the Head of Democratic Governance in advance of the meeting.

(Members are asked to also pay particular attention to the guidance sheet on interests supplied with the agenda).

There were no declarations of interest on this occasion.

The Chairman of the Panel will summarise the procedure and announce the equal maximum amount of time for each party to speak for the hearing.

A.         Items 1 and 4 (b) will be undertaken in private session by the Panel and not in public.

B.         Items 2, 3 and 4(a) will be recommended to the Panel to be held in public.

C.         The Panel may decide to exclude the public from all or part of a hearing where it considers that the public interest in so doing outweighs the public interest in the hearing, or that part of the hearing, taking place in public. (This includes a party and any person assisting or representing a party)

The Chairman explained the procedure for the meeting, including the order in which the applicant and representations would be heard and that the decision of the Panel would be communicated to the relevant parties within five working days.

To consider an application in respect of a new Premises Licence for A-One Beer and Wine, 230 Church Street, Blackpool, FY1 3PX.

A. Application and representations submitted. To consider the attached report.

B. Determination of the application for a new Premises Licence – A-One Beer and Wine.

The Licensing Panel will indicate how the decision is to be communicated to interested parties.

The Licensing Panel considered an application from Mr Sunil Kumar for a new Premises Licence to permit off sales of alcohol at A-One Beer and Wine, 230 Church Street, Blackpool, FY1 3PX. Representations had been received from the Licensing Authority, Lancashire Constabulary, Public Health and the Child Protection Licensing Officer.

Mr Kumar, assisted by his friend Mr Manmohit Singh, appeared before the Panel and explained that if the application was successful he intended to operate the premises as a franchise of a general convenience store / off licence brand such as Premier. Mr Singh had experience of running similar businesses and had helped Mr Kumar to complete a risk assessment and would further assist with staff training in relation to proof of age checks. Mr Kumar believed that the business would not be viable unless off-sales of alcohol were permitted and advised Members that he was open to a reduction in the proposed hours if they felt that was more appropriate.

Mr Lee Petrak, Trading Standards and Licensing Manager, presented representations on behalf of the Licensing Authority. He reminded the Panel that the proposed premises was situated within Blackpool Council’s Cumulative Impact Assessment Area and that there were already a number of similar off-licensed premises in the immediate vicinity. In his opinion the application was not exceptional as it was for a typical convenience store and therefore recommended that the Panel did not depart from the policy and refuse the application.

Lancashire Constabulary’s representations were presented by PC Emma Pritchard who highlighted that the premises fell within the Cumulative Impact Assessment Area. The Panel was advised that Blackpool had the highest number of alcohol related Police incidents in Lancashire with a significant number occurring within the immediate vicinity of the proposed premises. Further concerns were raised about the close proximity to the Salvation Army which catered for vulnerable adults, many of whom struggled with alcohol dependency.

Ms Kerry Burrow presented the objections on behalf of the Director of Public Health and referred the Panel to the evidence provided in the written representation, highlighting that the premises fell within Talbot ward which was already saturated with licensed premises. She explained that the area already suffered from significant levels of alcohol related harm and in her opinion the granting of the licence would add to the cumulative impact already being experienced.

Mrs Louise Scales, Child Protection Licensing Officer, referred to her written representation and reminded the Panel that the premises fell within the Cumulative Impact Assessment Area. In her opinion, the impact of an additional licensed premises in that area constituted an increased risk of alcohol related harm to children.

The Panel noted that Blackpool Council’s Licensing Policy stated that applications within the Cumulative Impact Assessment Area should be refused except in genuinely exceptional circumstances. It did not consider that the applicant had established a sufficient case for Members to consider rebutting the presumption of refusal in the Policy and noted that the location already suffered from alcohol related disorder and anti-social  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.