1. DETAILS OF THE APPLICATION

Applicant

Punch Taverns Plc

Premises

Solent Inn

7 Monkton Street

Ryde

Isle of Wight

PO33 1JW

Conversion & Variation Application

This application is for a conversion of the Premises Licence during the transitional period under Schedule 8 paragraph 2(2) of the Licensing Act 2003 and for a variation of the Premises Licence during the transitional period under Schedule 8 paragraph 7(1) (b) of the Licensing Act 2003. (Appendix 1)

The Operating Schedule shows:

Designated Premises Supervisor

Andrew Stuart Taylor

Solent Inn

7 Monkton Street

Ryde

Isle of Wight

PO33 1JW

	Provision of Regulated Entertainment	Hours of Licensable Activities
(a)	Plays	Not applicable
(b)	Films	Not applicable
(c)	Indoor Sporting Events	Not applicable
(d)	Boxing or Wrestling	Not applicable
(e)	Live Music	Monday to Saturday 11:00-00:30 Sunday 12:00-00:30
(f)	Recorded music	Monday to Saturday 11:00-00:30 Sunday 12:00-00:30
(g)	Performances of Dance	Not applicable
(h)	Anything similar to (e) (f) (g) above	Not applicable

	Provision of Entertainment Facilities
(i)	making music	Not applicable
(j)	dancing	Not applicable
(k)	entertainment similar to (i) & (j) above	Monday to Saturday 11:00-00:30 Sunday 12:00-00:30

	Late Night Refreshment	Not applicable

	Supply of Alcohol	Monday to Saturday 11:00-00:30 Sunday 12:00-00:30

	Other Times Premises Proposed To Be Open To The Public	Monday to Saturday 11:00-01:00 Sunday 12:00-01:00

	Non Standard Timings Applicable To All Activities	Every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday for each May Bank Holiday, Spring/Whitsun Bank Holiday and every August Bank Holiday Weekend to extend the finish time by 1 hour. Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday on Easter Bank Holiday Weekend to extend the finish time by 1 hour. Christmas Eve and Boxing Day to extend the finish time by 1 hour.

Steps to promote the licensing objectives

The Prevention of Crime & Disorder

· The Licensee is Chairman of Ryde Pub Watch

· Illumination is provided to the exterior areas of the pub

· All interior trading areas are visible to staff from behind the bar servery.

· Toilets checked regularly

· The licensees/staff monitor customer behaviour especially during busy periods.

· Drug prevention measures are employed and signs displayed

· Soft drinks available.

· Drink drive posters on site

· Spiking Posters on Site

Public Safety

· Complies with smoking charter

· Accident/incident book on site for staff and public

· Extractors and smoke filters

· HACCP policy in place

· Basic Food Hygiene certificates held

· Staff trained in disability policy and assistance is always available.

The Prevention of Public Nuisance

· A noise survey is carried out regularly especially when entertainment is being provided

· When required, staff organise taxis to transport customers home and customers are seen off the premises and encouraged to disperse after closing.

· The pub is a detached property and which assists in minimising noise transfer to neighbours.

· The pub has a lobbied entrance which reduces noise emission

· Public transport helps with the dispersal of customers

· Cellar cooler condenser is in a position so as not to cause nuisance to neighbours

· Signs asking customers to leave quietly and respect the neighbours

The Protection of Children From Harm

No children are allowed in the pub.

2. LOCATION AND SITE CHARACTERISTICS

The Solent Inn is a detached building situated in a residential area of Ryde and within 30 metres of residential properties. The building comprises of a public bar and lounge bar with an external garden area. Entry to the building is through a lobby with access doors to each bar. The windows are not double glazed and no permanent mechanical ventilation is provided within the bars. (Appendix 2)

3. RELEVANT REPRESENTATIONS

Responsible Authorities

Police	No representations

Environmental Health Officer	Recommends an electronic sound limiting device be installed and used during any performance of public entertainment or an acoustician to examine the structure of the building and the applicant to act on his recommendations. (Appendix 3)
Fire Safety Officer	No representations

Planning Officer	No representations

Trading Standards Officer	No representations

Health & Safety	No representations

Children’s Services	No representations

Interested Parties	No representations

4. LOCAL POLICY CONSIDERATIONS

It is considered that the following policies from the Council’s Licensing Authority’s Statement of Licensing Policy, 2004 to 2007 have a bearing upon the application.

Members’ attention in respect of this particular application is drawn to:

Clause 1	Licensing Objectives	All
Clause 2	Introduction
Clause 3	Integration of Strategies and Other Legislation	3.4 and 3.11
Clause 4	Approach to Licensing Applications	All
Clause 5	Cumulative Effect
Clause 6	Representation, Reviews and Appeals
Clause 7	Enforcement
Clause 8	Operating Schedules	8.1 8.2 8.13 to 8.19

5. NATIONAL GUIDANCE

National guidance regarding control of areas outside the premises is as follows:

3.11 The conditions attached to various authorisations will be focused on matters which are within the control of individual licensees and others in possession of relevant authorisations. Accordingly, these matters will centre on the premises being used for licensable activities and the vicinity of those premises. Whether or not incidents can be regarded as being “in the vicinity” of licensed premises is a question of fact and will depend on the particular circumstances of the case.

In addressing this matter, the licensing authority will primarily focus on the direct impact of the activities taking place at the licensed premises on members of public living, working or engaged in normal activity in the area concerned.

Licensing law is not the primary mechanism for the general control of nuisance and antisocial behaviour by individuals once they are away from the licensed premises and, therefore, beyond the direct control of the individual, club or business holding the licence, certificate or authorisation concerned. Nonetheless, it is a key aspect of such control and licensing law will always be part of a holistic approach to the management of the evening and night-time economy in town and city centres.

National guidance regarding licensing hours is as follows:

3.29 With regard to licensing hours consideration, which will be given to the individual merits of an application. The Government strongly recommends that Licensing Authorities should recognise that longer licensing hours with regard to the sale of alcohol are important to ensure that the concentrations of customers leaving premises simultaneously are avoided. This is necessary to reduce the friction at late night fast food outlets, taxi ranks and other sources of transport, which lead to disorder and disturbance. The Government also wants to ensure that licensing hours should not inhibit the development of thriving and safe evening and night-time local economies which are important for investment and employment locally and attractive to domestic and international tourists without compromising the ability to resource local services associated with the night-time economy. Providing consumers with greater choice and flexibility is an important consideration.

National guidance regarding non-duplication of other regimes is as follows:

3.51 Planning, building control and licensing regimes will be properly separated, to avoid duplication and inefficiency. Applications for premises licences for permanent commercial premises should normally be from businesses with planning consent for the property concerned. Licensing applications should not be a re-run of the planning application and should not cut across decisions taken by the local authority planning committee or following appeals against decisions taken by that committee. Similarly, the granting by the licensing committee of any variation of a licence which involves a material alteration to a building would not relieve the applicant of the need to apply for planning permission or building control where appropriate.

3.53 There should be a firm commitment to avoid duplication with other regulatory regimes so far as possible. Conditions in respect of public safety should only be attached to premises licences and club premises certificates that are “necessary” for the promotion of that licensing objective and if already provided for in other legislations, they cannot be considered necessary in the context of licensing law. Such regulations will not however always cover the unique circumstances that arise in connection with licensable activities, particularly regulated entertainment, at specific premises and tailored conditions may be necessary.

6. IMPLICATIONS UNDER THE HUMAN RIGHTS ACT 1998

Members are advised that this application must be considered against the background of the implications of the Human Rights Act 1998.

There are three convention rights, which need to be considered in this context:

(a) Article 6 Right to a Fair Trial –

In the determination of his civil rights and obligations or of any criminal charge against him, everyone is entitled to a fair and public hearing within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial tribunal established by law.

It has been held that the fact that there is a right of appeal to the Magistrates’ Court from any decision of the Licensing Authority is sufficient to make the Council’s licensing system compliant with the convention rights.

(b) Article 8 Right to Respect for Private and Family Life –

Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence. In the case of article 8 there shall be no interference by a public authority with the exercise of this right except as such in accordance with the law and is necessary on a democratic society in the interests of national security, public safety or the economic wellbeing of the country, for the prevention of disorder and crime, for the protection of health or morals or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.

Every natural or legal person is entitled to the peaceful enjoyment of his possessions. In the case of Article 1 of the first protocol it states that “no one shall be deprived of his possessions except in the public interest and subject to the conditions provided for by law and the general principles of international law. The preceding provisions (of which articles 6 and 8 are but two) shall not however in any way impair the right of the state to enforce such laws as it deems necessary to control the use of the property in accordance with general interest or to secure the payment of taxes or other contributions or penalties”.

A licence is viewed as a possession thus making Article 1 relevant in this case.

The Licensing Authority acknowledges the right of business in its area to operate, but equally acknowledges the fact that this must be balanced against the rights of residents not to be disturbed by unreasonable noise and nuisance caused by licensed premises. The Licensing Authority needs to be clear as to the rights granted and the need to ensure that the reasons given for any interference are proportionate and in accordance with the Council’s legitimate aim.

Consideration has been given to Article 1, Article 6 and Article 8 with regards to this application and all appear to be relevant to this application.

7. OBSERVATIONS

The Licensing Sub Committee is obliged to determine this application with a view to promoting the licensing objectives, which are:

· The prevention of crime and disorder

· Public safety

· The prevention of public nuisance

· The protection of children from harm

In making its decision, the Licensing Sub Committee is also obliged to have regard to national guidance and the Council’s own Licensing Policy.

Of course, the Licensing Sub Committee must also have regard to all of the representations made and the evidence it hears.

The Licensing Sub Committee must take such of the following steps as it considers necessary for the promotion of the licensing objectives:

i. Grant the application as asked.

ii. Modify the conditions of the licence by altering or omitting or adding to them.

iii. Reject the whole or part of the application.

The Licensing Sub Committee is asked to note that it may not modify the conditions or reject the whole or part of the application merely because it considers it desirable to do so. It must actually be necessary in order to promote the licensing objectives.

As to the objections raised:

Demand: This is clearly not a matter for a Licensing Authority as advised by paragraph 3.12 of national guidance.

Character/property values: These are matters for planning. They do not raise issues relevant to the licensing objectives.

The Prevention of Crime & Disorder

N/A

Prevention of Public Nuisance

The Principal Environmental Health Practitioner states that ambient noise is very low after 23:00 This is particularly important given the plans to have music inside the premises until past midnight on any day of the week and up until 01:30 on bank holidays. There are at least 17 people within 30 metres of the premises who may be disturbed by amplified noise late at night.

Open doors and windows provide natural ventilation. However these may allow for noise breakout and disturbance for nearby properties.

There has previously been one complaint about loud music. To prevent annoyance and disturbance, in particular sleep disturbance from noise emissions from the premises it is considered necessary and reasonable to require the installation of an electronic noise limiter; and during the performance of public entertainment, for all doors and windows to remain closed. This is consistent with paragraph 8.15 of the Council’s own Licensing Policy Statement and paragraph 7.19 of the national guidance.

Public Safety

N/A

Protection of Children From Harm

N/A

The Head of Consumer Protection’s opinion is that all matters can be dealt with by conditions and do not amount to sufficient grounds to refuse the variation outright.

Nonetheless it is a matter for the Licensing Sub Committee to determine in the light of the above matters and any other matters it considers material.

8. APPENDICES ATTACHED