Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Rory Colville, Councillor Mary-Jean Devon, Councillor David Kinniburgh and Councillor Richard Trail.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Chair welcomed all those present to the meeting and introductions were made.  The Chair advised that he believed there was an amendment to the application and Sheila MacFadyen advised that the original application had been for an extension of opening hours until 3am. Jane Thomson confirmed that her client wished to apply for late night catering for Friday to Sunday until 2am and Monday to Thursday until 11pm.

The Chair invited Jane Thomson to speak in support of her client’s application.

Ms Thomson advised that her client’s premises were centred in Oban surrounded by bars and one night club, which were licensed until 2am.  She advised that the Police objection was due to noise and commented that her client believed that noise would more likely come from the licensed premises surrounding his fish and chip shop.  She added that when licensed premises closed at 2am a lot of people hang around the street, having the fish and chip shop open may encourage folk to buy food and then move on.  Ms Thomson advised that her client was a very responsible person, he had been known in the past to put someone who had been drunk into a taxi to get them home.  She advised that he intended to work the late hours shift himself.  In terms of the issue of mess from litter, she advised that the packaging used in the shop was recognisable and that there would be a wheelie bin provided at the door of the premises.  With regard to the request for a door steward she advised that that the premises were very small and her client would be happy to carry out this task himself.  Ms Thomson advised that there were no residential properties above the premises and that the flats were on the other side of the street.  She advised that her client was very happy to please Members and had already changed his application from 3am to 2am and that he himself would be working in the premises until 2am.  Finally she suggested that her client be awarded a probationary period of perhaps a month where any issues could be reviewed and the licence re-looked at.

The Chair invited Inspector Tom Harper, Objector, to pose any questions he may have regarding anything the applicant’s agent had just said.  Inspector Harper confirmed that he had no questions and the Chair then invited him to speak in support of his objection.

Inspector Harper advised that he was not based in the Oban area but the applicant’s premises were similar to that of another premises in Oban which had a licence until 1.30am with the provision of a door steward.  He advised that the objection was due to the possible increase in antisocial behaviour and noise disturbance.  He advised that reduction of anti social behaviour was part of the policing plan for that area.  He advised that any place left open extended the time that folk were in the street after having consumed alcohol and the extended opening hours of the applicant’s premises would undoubtedly increase the time of folk hanging around in the street and around the premises.

The Chair invited Ms Thomson to pose any questions she may have on what Inspector Harper had just said.

Ms Thomson asked Mr Harper is he thought that having a food premises open would encourage folk to get some food and then move on.  He replied by saying no, that it would encourage folk to hang around the street and the premises would become a gathering place.

Ms Thomson asked Mr Harper if there were similar premises in other towns that he knew of and when they were open until.  He advised that there was a premises in Campbeltown licensed until 2am.

The Chair invited Members to pose any questions they had to Ms Thomson or Inspector Harper.

Councillor Blair asked Inspector Harper if it was normal Saturday night procedure for the area surrounding the premises to be policed at that time?  Inspector Harper advised that yes, gathering points would be policed to prevent antisocial behaviour.  He added that another late night catering outlet is another potential area needing policed and a need for increased Police resources.

Councillor Blair asked Ms Thomson what surrounded the premises.  She advised that it was in the centre of a number of licensed premises.

Councillor McNaughton asked Ms Thomson what the closing times were of the licensed premises, if it was 2am?  She advised that one premises was open until 1am and the rest until 2am.

Councillor Freeman advised that he was very surprised to learn of the need for door stewards in food premises and asked Inspector Harper if he was aware of the need for door stewards in other towns.  He replied by saying that he knew of none in Lochgilphead or Campbeltown but was not sure of whether there were any in Rothesay or Dunoon.

Councillor Hall asked Ms Thomson if there was a hotel to the left of the premises.  She replied yes.  Councillor Hall asked Inspector Harper if it was a fact that folk would gather around a takeaway and if the Police had any figures of disturbances to back up this fact.  Inspector Harper confirmed that it was fact but there were no figures available.  Ms Thomson commented that she was not sure whether the extra congregation would occur as suggested as the premises would be closing at 2am, the same time as the surrounding licensed premises.

Sheila MacFadyen advised that the other similar premises in Oban had a licence for late catering 11pm to 12am Monday to Thursday and 11pm to 1.30am Friday to Sunday with the provision of a door steward.

Councillor McNaughton asked who had imposed the condition of a door steward and why.  Mr Reppke advised that he was unsure of the reasoning but that it would have been decided as a condition as part of the determination of that application.

Councillor Blair commented that he would expect a good proprietor  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.