MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE REGULATORY COMMITTEE HELD AT COUNTY HALL, NEWPORT, ISLE OF WIGHT, ON MONDAY, 6 NOVEMBER 2006 COMMENCING AT 4.00 PM

 

Present :

 

Cllrs Mike Cunningham (Chairman),           Bill Burt, Jonathon Fitzgerald-Bond (as deputy for Ivan Bulwer), Barbara Foster, Brian Mosdell, Lady Pigot, Susan Scoccia, Arthur Taylor, David Whittaker.

 

Apologies :

 

Cllrs Henry Adams, Ivan Bulwer, George Cameron, Muriel Miller, Julian Whittaker

 

 

4.                  MINUTES

 

RESOLVED:

 

THAT the Minutes of the meeting held on 12 June 2006 be confirmed.

 

5.                  DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

 

There were no declarations at this time.

 

6.                  GAMBLING ACT 2005, STATEMENT OF LICENSING POLICY

 

The Gambling Act 2005, which should come fully into force in September 2007, would create a new system of licensing and regulation for all commercial gambling in Great Britain, other than the National Lottery and spread betting.  Local Authorities were to be empowered with new and extended responsibilities for licensing premises for gambling and to receive responsibilities which had previously been held by local magistrates.

 

The Committee gave consideration to the draft Gambling Act 2005 Statement of Licensing Policy that set out the principles, which the authority proposed to apply in exercising its licensing functions under the Act and gave consideration to a paper being submitted to a future meeting of the full Council recommending its adoption. The draft statement had been developed having regard to and in accordance with the Act, Regulations and recent Guidance for Licensing Authorities.  

 

Members were advised that the Gambling Act 2005 required a licensing authority to prepare and publish a statement of licensing policy before each successive period of three years.  It was noted that the 31 January 2007 had been appointed as the first day of the initial three year period for the purposes of publishing the statement of licensing policy.

 

Members also noted that a two month public consultation exercise had taken place in accordance with the Council’s Consultation Strategy and Good Practice Guidance. Notices, providing information for the general public with details of two public


meetings, which had been held on 21 September, had also been placed in the County Press.  Comments, in writing, had been requested by 30 October 2006.  To date, seven responses had been received and a further two had been received and circulated to the Committee since the report had been published. In the light of these, the draft statement, attached to the report of the Head of Consumer Protection, had been amended slightly to reflect those comments received.  In addition, Officers suggested that a few further amendments be made.

 

RESOLVED :

 

            THAT  the draft statement of licensing policy be approved subject to the following changes:

           

Para 2.8         2nd sentence, delete the rest of sentence after the words ‘planning application’;

                       

Para 4.2         delete the word ‘considered’;

 

Para 7.6         Replace the 3rd sentence with the words ‘Individual conditions will be avoided where possible. However, the Licensing Authority may attach additional conditions that are necessary and proportionate, where specific risk or problems are associated with a particular locality or premises or on a case by case basis.’

 

 and that a further paper be submitted to a meeting of the full Council recommending adoption of the policy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAIRMAN