1. DETAILS OF THE APPLICATION

Applicant

Whitbread Group Plc

Premises

Sloop Inn

Mill Square

Wootton Bridge

Isle of Wight PO33 4HS

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

Mr Stephen Hickey

	Provision of Regulated Entertainment	Hours of Licensable Activities
(a)	Plays	Not Applicable
(b)	Films	Monday to Sunday 10:00 hours until 00:30 hours
(c)	Indoor Sporting Events	Monday to Sunday 10:00 hours until 00:30 hours
(d)	Boxing or Wrestling	Not Applicable
(e)	Live Music	Monday to Sunday 10:00 hours until 00:30 hours
(f)	Recorded music	Monday to Sunday 10:00 hours until 00:30 hours
(g)	Performances of Dance	Monday to Sunday 10:00 hours until 00:30 hours
(h)	Anything similar to (e) (f) (g) above	Not Applicable
	Provision of Entertainment Facilities
(i)	making music	Monday to Sunday 10:00 hours until 00:30 hours
(j)	dancing	Monday to Sunday 10:00 hours until 00:30 hours
(k)	entertainment similar to (i) & (j) above	Not Applicable
	Late Night Refreshment	Monday to Sunday 10:00 hours until 00:30 hours
	Supply of Alcohol	Monday to Sunday 10:00 hours until 00:30 hours
	Hours Open To The Public	Monday to Sunday 10:00 hours until 01:00 hours
	Non Standard Timings	Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Monday on bank holiday weekends until 00:30 hours if the variation as outlined above is not granted.

Steps to promote the licensing objectives

General

No new steps identified in relation to the four licensing objectives.

The Prevention of Crime & Disorder

No further risks have been identified which need to be addressed.

Public Safety

No further risks have been identified which need to be addressed.

The Prevention of Public Nuisance

No further risks have been identified which need to be addressed.

The Protection of Children From Harm

No unusual or additional risks of harm to children have been identified.

2. LOCATION AND SITE CHARACTERISTICS

The Sloop Inn is a semi-detached building situated in a residential area with water frontage to the rear and the main road to the front. Entry to the building is through a lobbied entrance. The interior comprises of a bar and restaurant areas with seating and tables for customers and an external area for the use of customers. A car park is situated to the front of the premises. (Appendix 2)

3. RELEVANT REPRESENTATIONS

Responsible Authorities	(Appendix 3)
Police	No representations outstanding
Environmental Health Officer	No representations outstanding
Fire Safety Officer	No representations outstanding
Planning Officer	No representations outstanding
Trading Standards Officer	No representations outstanding
Health & Safety	No representations outstanding
Children’s Services	No representations outstanding
Interested Parties	No representations outstanding
Mr David Bennison Riverside Mill Square Wootton Bridge Isle of Wight PO33 4HS	Expresses concerns that if the licence is granted as requested in the application, it will encourage drink driving and other unlawful and anti-social behaviour.

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 & 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 8.3 to 8.9 8.13 to 8.20

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”.

Article 8 is relevant in this case, as the Licensing Sub-Committee must balance the rights of the applicant to run their business in the way they wish, with the rights of the neighbours not to be unreasonably disturbed.

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.

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.