Issue - meetings

Activities Report for 2020/21 and 2021/22 (Q1 and Q2)

Meeting: 18/10/2021 - Statutory Licensing Committee (Item 5)

5 Activities Report for 2020/21 and 2021/22 (Q1 and Q2) pdf icon PDF 437 KB

To consider the report of the Senior Licensing Officer.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to the report of the Senior Licensing Officer.

 

The Team Manager Trading Standards and Licensing advised that the report updated the Planning, Regulatory and General Licensing Committee on the work of the Licensing Team from the 1st April, 2020 to 31st March, 2021 and 1st April, 2021 to 30th September, 2021. The Team Manager spoke to the report and outlined the key points detailed in the report related to the Impact of Covid-19, staffing and duties, working practices along with the operational report, alcohol and entertainment, gambling, gaming and lotteries, inspection and enforcement activities and management report.

 

The Team Manager further referred Members to the detail outlined in the appendix to the report.

 

A Member raised concerns around underage drinking and it was advised that the Local Authority gathered evidence in line with the Council’s RIPA Policy. The Team Manager further provided an explanation of the process which would be undertaken in the event of alleged under-aged sales of alcohol and explained that outcomes and actions would be dependent on all of the circumstances, including who made the sale to the underage individual.

 

In response to a question raised in relation to the nature of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests made, it was reported that requests made included information on the number of public houses, clubs closed or surrendered/ lapsed due to Covid-19. The Officer advised that before the information was submitted checks are always made with the FOI Team to ensure the data was appropriate to disclose .

 

A Member referred to the changes made to a number of licenced premises during the pandemic in order to offer outdoor spaces. The Member asked does the Authority have the appropriate capacity to manage these outdoor spaces and stated that although it was paramount that these businesses are promoted it was also important that they are managed correctly as some public houses were in residential areas.

 

The Team Manager – Trading Standards and Licensing felt that capacity was adequate at the moment and noted that only a relatively small number of premises had given rise to complaints relating to the use of the outside areas to date. However, this situation was continually being monitored in line with Covid-19 restrictions. The Team Manager added that discussions were ongoing with Gwent Police to work in partnership with the Local Authority and feedback intelligence to the Licensing/Trading Standards Team to investigate/monitor further via enforcement visits.

 

RESOLVED that the report be accepted and the information contained therein be noted (option 2).