Agenda and minutes

Prior to the start of the meeting, S Mair, Legal Manager, informed the Forum that at the Council meeting held on 26 September 2013 Councillor R Currie was appointed as the new interim Licensing Board Chair and Councillor A McNaughton as Vice-Chair.  Membership of the Licensing Board had not been changed.

Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of Tim Saul, Roanna Clark, Sarah Nicolson, Elaine Garman and Alana Maclachlan.

Local Licensing Forum held on 15 May 2013 and 8 August 2013.

The Minutes of the Meetings of the Local Licensing Forum held on 15 May and 8 August 2013 were approved as a correct record.

Consultation on Review of Statement of Licensing Policy.

The Forum considered the draft revised “Statement of Licensing Policy” which reflected the proposed changes to the policy, along with the attached form which had been prepared to highlight the principal changes.

Discussion took place around the main topics which had been of concern to Forum members, these being Section 6 – Overprovision, Section 9 - Occasional Licences, Section 20 – Members Clubs and Section 21 – Excluded Premises – Garages.

S Mair pointed out that an information and evidence gathering exercise had been commenced by the Licensing Board in conjunction with the Local Licensing Forum with a view to considering the matter of overprovision and that the outcome of that exercise would be the subject of separate public consultation in due course.

It was suggested that any statements made in the Policy could be backed up by having statistical local background information.

The Forum then recommended the following changes to the Policy;

(i)         Section 6 – Overprovision

6.3 to change “the Board has reached…” to “the Board had reached…”

6.5 to remove “in due course” after “separate public consultation” and insert “within a year”

DECISION

1.         Noted and welcomed the measures being put forward for the granting of occasional licences, making them more consistent with the five licensing objectives;

2.         Noted that any future Licensing Policy may have to put in place measures for dealing with the delivery of on-line alcohol sales to homes in Argyll and Bute;and

3.         Noted that members of the Forum could also submit any recommendations or suggestions on an individual basis to the Council for consideration by the Licensing Board.

Noted that the date of the next meeting would be circulated to Members.