Issue - meetings

Report of Assistant Director – Regulatory Services and Community Safety

Purpose of report

This report introduces a second draft of the revised Statement of Licensing Policy (attached as Appendix 1) following consultation. It explains the reason for the review, provides a summary of the main changes to the current policy, and outlines the consultation process followed. The Executive Committee is requested to provide input to the policy before it is considered by Full Council.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

1.1           To provide views on the proposed changes and suggest any additional amendments they consider necessary.

1.2           To consider the recommendation from the Oxfordshire Tobacco Control Alliance that where external seating is provided 100% of the seating should be no smoking and not 70% as proposed in the draft policy.

Resolved

(1)          That, having given due consideration, the proposed changes be endorsed and no further amendments be suggested prior to consideration by Full Council on 22 February 2022. 

(2)          That, having given due consideration, the recommendation from the Oxfordshire Tobacco Control Alliance that where external seating is provided 100% of the seating should be no smoking and not 70% as proposed in the draft policy not be taken forward at this time but reviewed in due course.

(3)          That officers be requested to provide feedback to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in response to their comments regarding the role of Licensing Committee in light of it meeting infrequently and notification to Ward Members of licensing applications.

The Assistant Director – Regulatory Services and Community Safety submitted a report which introduced a second draft of the revised Statement of Licensing Policy following consultation. It explained the reason for the review, provided a summary of the main changes to the current policy, and outlined the consultation process followed. Executive was requested to provide input to the policy before it is considered by Full Council.

Councillor Wing, Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee addressed Executive to present the feedback of the Committee which had considered the report at its 12 January 2021 meeting. Councillor Wing advised that the Committee had supported and endorsed the Policy but had requested officers provide clarification on the role of the Licensing Committee, as it only met infrequently, and that officer provide information on the process for notifying ward councillors on applications in their ward.

The Chairman thanked the Councillor Wing and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for their feedback and requested officers to provide feedback to the Committee on the matters they had raised.

The Lead Member for Health and Wellbeing and the Corporate Director Commercial Development, Assets and Investment confirmed that they would review and report back to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Resolved

(1)           That, having given due consideration, the proposed changes be endorsed and no further amendments be suggested prior to consideration by Full Council on 22 February 2022. 

(2)           That, having given due consideration, the recommendation from the Oxfordshire Tobacco Control Alliance that where external seating is provided 100% of the seating should be no smoking and not 70% as proposed in the draft policy not be taken forward at this time but reviewed in due course.

(3)           That officers be requested to provide feedback to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in response to their comments regarding the role of Licensing Committee in light of it meeting infrequently and notification to Ward Members of licensing applications.

Reasons

It is a requirement that the policy is reviewed at least every five years to ensure it reflects current legislation and guidance, although the Licensing Authority can review it at any time. The last review and revision occurred in 2015 when the policy was adopted by Council at its meeting on 14 December 2015 and published in January 2016.

Alternative options

Option 1: Not review the policy. It is a statutory requirement that the policy is reviewed at least every five years, so this option is rejected.

Option 2: Re-issue the policy with no changes. This option was rejected since revisions of the policy were considered necessary to take into account changes in safeguarding practice and commitments provided by the council to support smoking reduction in Oxfordshire.