Agenda and minutes

Licensing Sub-Committee - Monday, 12th February, 2024 10.30 am

Venue: Committee Rooms A and B - Town Hall. View directions

Contact: Democratic Services  Email: democratic.services@crawley.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Appointment of Chair

Minutes:

RESOLVED

 

That Councillor Belben be appointed Chair for the hearing.

 

2.

Disclosures of Interest

In accordance with the Council's Code of Conduct, councillors are reminded that it is a requirement to declare interests where appropriate.

Minutes:

No disclosures of interests were made.

 

3.

Applications to Vary and to Review the Premises Licence - Mon Ami, 20 Broad Walk, Northgate, Crawley, RH10 1HQ pdf icon PDF 366 KB

To consider report HCS/076of the Head of Community Services.

 

The application to vary the premises licence is available to view on the Council’s website here.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Sub-Committee considered an application to vary and an application to review the premises licence held in respect of Mon Ami, 20 Broad Walk, Northgate, Crawley, RH10 1HQ.

 

Following the introduction of those present, the Senior Lawyer outlined the procedure to be followed at the hearing.  It was highlighted to all parties that the Sub-Committee had requested a pre-meeting with the Senior Lawyer and Democratic Services Officer prior to the commencement of the hearing, to confirm the procedure that would be followed.  It was confirmed that the Sub-Committee had not asked for clarification of any aspect of the application or on the representations received from any party.

 

The Senior Lawyer then asked all parties present if they wished to make any relevant applications, for example additional information or to cross-examine any party.  No applications were made. 

 

It was proposed by the Chair that the Sub-Committee consider the application to vary the premises licence and the application to review the premises licence at the same time, so taking agenda items four and five together.  It was heard that the two matters comprised the same issues and were based on the same evidence, so all information contained within the agenda was relevant to both items.  The Senior Lawyer invited all parties to comment on the proposed way forward.  Some parties expressed support for the approach and no objections were raised, so the approach was agreed.

 

The Applications

 

Reports HCS/076 and HCS/077 of the Council’s Head of Community Services were summarised by Dan Carberry, Public Protection and Enforcement Manager for Crawley Borough Council.

 

The Sub-Committee was informed that on 29 November 2023,the Premises Licence Holder (PLH) for the premises known as Mon Ami (20 Broad Walk, Northgate, Crawley, RH10 1HQ) had submitted an application to the Council as the licensing authority for the borough of Crawley for a variation of the existing licence in accordance with the provision of the Licensing Act 2003.

 

It was confirmed that the application had been advertised in accordance with legislation, and as a result of the consultation process, the Council had received a relevant representation from Kareen Plympton, Health Safety and Licensing Team Leader for Crawley Borough Council(included with the report at Document 1).

 

The Sub-Committee was then guided through the remainder of the report which set out the reasons for the hearing and the matters which the Sub-Committee should take into consideration when dealing with the application, including the relevant sections of the Guidance issued by Government pursuant of Section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003, and the Council’s policy considerations.  The reasons for the hearing being held were on the grounds that the licence holder was not promoting the statutory licensing objectives of the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, and the protection of children from harm.  A number of premises licence conditions had been breached, including those relating to smoking and alcohol consumption, which had led to concerns about the operation of the premises.  However the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

4.

Applications to Vary and to Review the Premises Licence - Mon Ami, 20 Broad Walk, Northgate, Crawley, RH10 1HQ

Minutes:

The Chair declared the hearing re-open for consideration of business in public session.

 

It was heard that the Sub-Committee had given further consideration to the application and to the matters raised at the hearing.  In formulating its decision, the Sub-Committee took into account the options that were available to it and considered what was appropriate to ensure that the licensing objectives were promoted.

 

The Senior Lawyer, on behalf of the Sub-Committee, read out the Sub-Committee’s decision as detailed in Appendix A to these minutes.  It was also announced that all parties would receive a copy of the decision within five working days of the hearing.

 

RESOLVED

 

The Sub-Committee, having considered the application and the relevant representation in detail, resolved to take the actions detailed in Appendix A to these minutes, because it was considered appropriate to promote the licensing objectives.

 

Appendix A - Decision Notice pdf icon PDF 499 KB