The Committee and Scrutiny Support Officer confirmed that the Sub Committee would comprise Councillors I Brown, Jeffree and S Williams.

The Sub-Committee was asked to elect a Chair for the Hearing.

RESOLVED –

that Councillor Jeffree be elected Chair for this Hearing.

There were no disclosures of interest.

Report of the Head of Community and Customer Services

This report asks the Sub-Committee to consider a variation to a premises licence following the receipt of representations.

The Interested Parties had not arrived at the start of the hearing and the Sub-Committee agreed to adjourn the meeting while the Licensing Officer tried to contact them. 

The Interested Parties had not arrived by 10.55 a.m. and as no communication had been received, the Hearing was resumed.

The Sub-Committee received a report of the Head of Community and Customer Services setting out details of an application to vary the premises licence at The Load of Hay and also of the representations received.  

The Licensing Officer explained that whilst two representations had been received from Interested Parties, there had been no response from Responsible Authorities. 

The Licensing Officer then advised that a mediation meeting had taken place between the Applicant, the Interested Parties and Council officers; the meeting had concentrated on alleged noise nuisance.   The officer stated that three conditions had been appended to the licence to which the Applicant had agreed. 

The Licensing Officer said that the Applicant applied for a Temporary Event Notice for the 30 August 2014 and no objections or representations had been received for this event.

   The Licensing Officer further advised that the Applicant had been the Designated Premises Supervisor since November 2013 and that no complaints regarding the premises had been received.

The Chair invited questions for the officer. 

   In response to a query from Councillor Brown regarding the absence of representations from Responsible Authorities, the Licensing Officer advised that had representations from these authorities been received during the consultation period they would have been included in the report.  She confirmed that no such representations had been received.

   There were no further questions for the officer.

The Chair then invited Ms Wattam to address the Hearing.

Ms Wattam said that the area to which the variation applied was a small garden bar at the rear of the pub which was not currently open for the sale of drinks.   She explained that the garden was already used by customers who had bought drinks at the inside bar.  She added that the opening of this bar would make no change to the number of people in this area but would be more convenient for current regular customers.

Ms Wattam added that no music would be played outside and that there would consequently be no increase in noise.  Since no additional customers were anticipated, there would also be no extra traffic in the vicinity.  

                   The Chair then asked Members if they had any questions for Ms Wattam.

Councillor Brown referred to Ms Wattam’s statement that customers currently bought drinks inside and then accessed the garden.  He asked for information on the size of the proposed outside bar. 

Ms Wattam replied that the structure was approximately 7’ by 4’.  She described it as the size of a ‘small garden shed’.  Responding to a further question from Councillor Brown, she said that its sole use would be for the sale of drinks.   She added that the garden door to the pub was self-closing and that the proposed arrangement would  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.