Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were intimated from Councillors Rory Colville, Robin Currie, Vivien Dance, Mary-Jean Devon, David Kinniburgh, Neil Mackay, Alister MacAlister, Roderick McCuish and Al Reay.

Councillor Bruce Marshall declared a non financial interest in relation to item 3 of this Minute as he is a Director of the Dunoon Burgh Hall Trust.  He left the room and took no part in the discussion of this application.

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and invited everyone in attendance to introduce themselves.  He then outlined the procedure that would be followed during the meeting.

Applicant

The Chair invited the Applicant to speak in support of the application.  Ms Campbell advised that she was here to represent the Dunoon Burgh Hall Trust and gave a brief background into the history and development of the Burgh Hall.  She explained that the upstairs theatre space had been mothballed since the 1980s and the downstairs area which had been used as office space had been mothballed in the 1990s.  Following a community campaign the Trust was incorporated in 2010 and they were looking to reinstate the building into public use for arts, leisure and cultural events.  She advised that a £1.2m restoration programme was underway following fundraising and that this will be used to significantly improve the building including improvements to sound proofing, acoustics and heating the building by way of insulation to the roof space, heavy duty, thermal lined curtains at the windows and, in time, replacement of the windows.  She advised that the Trust required the entertainments licence in order to hold events that would bring income into the hall to help pay for heating, lighting and further improve the condition of the hall.  She confirmed that funding had been received from Historic Scotland and the LEADER Plus Programme and that applications have been submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery Fund.  She also advised that in the last year over 10,000 visitors had come to the hall and that that there was significant support from the local community with over 40 volunteers involved with the project.  She explained that not having the entertainment licence would restrict their business and that they were aware of the need to be considerate of neighbours and to minimise disturbance to them and to not have events running beyond midnight.  They hope to be able to engage with the immediate community of Dunoon and Cowal as well as further afield and advised that an Arts Exhibition was planned for the hall in 2012 from the Tate Museum.

Questions to Applicant

The Chair invited the Objector to ask questions.  Mr McDiarmid advised that he had no questions but thanked Ms Campbell for her well presented and honest statement which covered very well the condition of the hall.

Objector

Mr McDermott advised that he did not wish the Committee to attach any weight to his sole representation as due to the positioning of the notice at the Burgh Hall advising of the application, he believed many people would not have been aware that it was there and, indeed, he almost missed it himself, and queried whether or not this type of application should have been advertised in the local paper.  Mr McDermott went on to refer to the contents of his letter included with the Committee paperwork which detailed the concerns he had.  He expressed his concern about the inadequate sound proofing in the hall and advised that when events were held in the hall he could hear the music from his living room even with his windows closed and the television on.  He advised that his house was less than 100 yards from the hall and the rear door of the hall pointed directly at his house.  He advised that frequently the rear hall door remained open during events and this was where smokers congregated and that he could hear their conversations.  He advised that he had no objection in principle to the licence but advised that he thought it should come with restrictions.  He advised that the hall was not built, and was still unsuitable, for loud groups and discos and that in an ideal world he would like these prohibited.  He advised that if these types of functions could not be prohibited he asked that consideration be given to the installation and mandatory use of sound control equipment and referred to this being used at a venue in St Andrews Square, Glasgow which was in a residential area and thought that this would be a straightforward measure to implement and that having this in place would protect himself and others from noise disturbance.  He also asked if performances could be limited to an average of 1 per week.  He referred to the rear doors and the possibility of having them shut at all times except in emergencies and that smokers be redirected to the front of the building instead of out the rear door and that this would be dependent upon someone responsible being in the hall to ensure this was the case.  He also referred to the hall being used as a rehearsal venue for music groups.  He advised that he understood the need to support young people and believed that a proper recording studio would be the subject of conditions and regulations and asked that the hall not be used for this purpose.  He advised that none of the Directors of the hall lived within earshot of the hall and that it was incumbent upon them that people living close by did not need to suffer in the interim until proper sound proofing was in place.

Questions to Objector

The Chair invited the Applicant to ask questions.  Ms Campbell advised that she had none but would like to address some of Mr McDiarmid’s concerns.  The Chair advised that she could do this when she summed up her case.

Members Questions

The Chair then gave Members of the Committee the opportunity to question the Applicant and Objector.

Councillor Chalmers asked Ms Campbell what the maximum number of people was that could be accommodated at events.

Ms Campbell advised that in the downstairs hall for a wedding this would be 120 people.  For an event with rows of seats this would be 150 people.  She advised that for a standing event they would be allowed up to 300 people but that they would limit this to between 200 –  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.