Agenda and minutes

Announcement on procedural matters.

The Chairman opened the meeting, introduced Committee members and officers in attendance, and outlined procedural matters of the meeting.

Apologies for absence were noted from Councillors Bulman and Thomson.

To receive any declarations of interest by members in items on the agenda.  For any advice on declarations of interest, please contact the Monitoring Officer.

No declarations of interest were made.

Members should indicate which item(s) they wish to speak on and the nature of their concern/question/request for clarification.

There were no visiting members who had registered to speak.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the previous meeting dated Tuesday 4 December 2018 provided a correct record, except that it should additionally be noted that Mr Nick Peeters was also in attendance as clerk to the meeting.  An audio recording of the full meeting is available on the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council website.

Mrs Degiorgio, Senior Licensing Officer, introduced and summarised the report which was to consider a review of the fees set for the administration of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013.  This would ensure that the Council complied with its statutory duty and that the licensing of Scrap Metal Dealers was self financing in accordance with the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy.

Officers clarified in response to a member query that staff had not received a commensurate 2.5% increase in salaries but the proposed fee increase was simply in line with inflation, to ensure cost recovery. 

There were no members of the public or other stakeholders who had registered to speak on this item.

A motion was proposed, seconded and carried in line with the recommendation.

RESOLVED: That the Licensing Committee approve fee levels as set out in Appendix A of the report for implementation on 1 April 2019.

Mrs Bamborough, Head of Licensing Partnership, introduced and summarised the report which was to consider a minor review of the Council’s current Statement of Licensing Policy for the five year period 7 January 2016 to 6 January 2021 to include a policy for outdoor events.  She indicated that the intention was to provide a policy guideline both for organisers of outdoor events as well as an element of potential reassurance to the public.  Most members of the Committee welcomed the proposal of this additional section of policy guidance.  However, a particular concern was noted by one member, that the inclusion of a finish time of 23:00 hours might encourage greater use of Temporary Event Notices, which would not allow more specific consideration of an event through the Council’s licensing procedures.  An alternative finish time of 23:30 hours was proposed but this motion was not carried.

There were no members of the public or other stakeholders who had registered to speak on this item.

A motion was proposed, seconded and carried in line with the recommendation.  The Licensing Committee would consider feedback from the consultation at the next meeting on 11 June to agree a final version for recommendation to Full Council on 17 July 2019.

RESOLVED: That it be agreed for consultation purposes the proposed amendment to the Statement of Licensing Policy (which will expire 6 January 2021) to include a new section on outdoor events.

Gary Stevenson, Head of Housing, Health and Environment introduced and summarised the report which proposed a consultation on a narrow element of the existing Street Trading policy that applied to the number of street trading pitches designated in Calverley Road precinct Tunbridge Wells and the nature of their use.  The consultation would seek views on increasing the number of pitches from the current number of five to a number that would allow the newly established independent Farmers’ Market to be accommodated in the precinct and potentially the area at the Millennium Clock.  In response to a query from the Committee, Mr Stevenson advised up to 12 pitches were proposed.  A plan would be supplied as part of the consultation.

Members recalled the original site of a market prior to the development of RVP and were also concerned that the market within the Market Square had had not proved successful.  They also had concerns over the use of the area by the Clocktower as it was prone to contamination from bird droppings. 

There were no members of the public or other stakeholders who had registered to speak on this item.

A motion was proposed, seconded and carried in line with the recommendation.  The Licensing Committee would consider feedback from the consultation at the next meeting on 11 June to agree a final version for recommendation to Full Council on 17 July 2019.

RESOLVED: That the Committee authorises officers to undertake public consultation on the Street Trading Policy.

To consider any other items which the Chairman decides are urgent, for the reasons to be stated, in accordance with Section 100B(4) of the Local Government Act 1972.

There was no urgent business for consideration.

The next Licensing Committee to be held on Tuesday 11 June 2019.