The Chairman gave a brief introduction and welcomed those present to the meeting.

To receive apolgies for absence

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Steve Davenport, Andrew Davies, Roger Hughes and Michael Wood.

Members were reminded that they must not participate in the discussion or voting on any matter in which they had a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest and should leave the room prior to the commencement of the debate.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 30^th September 2015 as a true record.

Contact: Emily Marshall (01743 257717)

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 30^th September 2015 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive any questions, statements or petitions

There were no public questions or statements received.

To consider the report of the Health Protection/Prevention Team Manager, attached marked 6.   

Contact: Matthew Aldridge 01743 251700

Consideration was given to a report of the Team Manager – Health Protection and Prevention (copy attached to the signed minutes), detailing the exercise of delegated functions in respect of the safety of sports grounds, undertaken by the Public Protection service over the past year.

The Team Manager – Health Protection and Prevention responded to a number of general questions from Members and confirmed that the entry capacity for The New Saints ground was under review and noted that the limit for the Welsh league was different to that for the English league. It was explained that car parking issues were not taken into account when safety certificates were granted.

RESOLVED:

That the report of the Team Manager – Health Protection and Prevention be noted.

Report of the Senior Commissioner for Business Support & Regulatory Services is attached, marked 7. 

Contact: Frances Darling (0345 6789026)

Consideration was given to the report of the Senior Commissioner for Business Support & Regulatory Services in relation to the Council’s Gambling Act 2005 draft policy statement. (Copy attached to the signed minutes).

The Senior Commissioner for Business Support & Regulatory Services confirmed that £500 was not the full cost of producing the document and explained that additional costs would be recovered through the licence fees process.

In response to a query, Members were assured that the outcome of the research into vulnerable people currently being led by Westminster and Manchester Councils, as noted at paragraph 5.8 of the report, would be considered by Officers in relation to the policy statement.

RESOLVED:

(1)  The Committee considered the representations received following the formal consultation on the draft Gambling Policy Statement and agreed the amendments, set out as ‘tracked changes’, with any further amendments as appropriate, to the proposed Gambling Policy Statement as detailed in Appendix 1 and recommend to the Council that the policy statement be published and advertised by the Head of Public Protection in accordance with the provisions of the Act and that the policy statement take effect from 1 April 2016.

(2)  The Committee delegated authority to the Senior Commissioner for Business Support and Regulatory Services, in consultation with the Chair of the Strategic Licensing Committee, to finalise the tracked changes, correct the paragraph numbering and amend any typographical errors and/or administrative inconsistencies in the proposed Gambling Policy Statement as set out in Appendix 1 prior to the policy statement being presented to the Council for final approval.

Report to Follow.

Consideration was given to a report of the Operations Manager – Health and Community Protection in relation to the Licensing Fees and Charges for 2015 – 2016. (copy attached to the signed minutes).

The Business Partner (Commissioning) confirmed that all controllable costs were now recovered and noted that she did not have the information currently available to answer the questions in relation to the internal market recharges applied to Licensing, the surplus/deficit produced including the recharges and what the surplus/deficit would have been had internal market recharges not been applied. She agreed to circulate this information following the meeting.

RESOLVED:

(1)       The Committee noted the statutory fees that Shropshire Council was required to charge in respect of the specified licences under the Licensing Act 2003 and the Gambling Act 2005 as set out in Part 1 of Appendix A and agreed to implement these fees (or if subject to statutory amendment, the relevant amended fees) on the 1 April 2016 and instructs the Head of Public Protection to include the fees in the 2016/17 annual fees and charges report to be presented to the Council and further instructs the Head of Public Protection to implement, as appropriate, any other statutory fees that may be brought into force during the 2016/17 financial year.  

(2)       The Committee agreed to implement, with any necessary modification, the proposed fees relevant to those licences and licensing related activities where the authority has the discretion to determine the fees on the 1 April 2016 and instructs the Head of Public Protection to publish, on the Council’s website, the intention of the Committee to revise the fees as set out in Part 2 of Appendix A and further instructs the Head of Public Protection to include the fees in the 2016/17 annual fees and charges report to be presented to the Council.

(3a) The Committee agreed to implement, with any necessary modification, the proposed fees relevant to driver, hackney carriage, private hire vehicle and operator licences as set out in Part 3 of Appendix A and instructs the Head of Public Protection, in accordance with the provisions of Section 70 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, to publish in the Shropshire Star a notice setting out those fees that it was proposed would be varied and to specify a period from 11 January 2016 to 14 February 2016 (this being not less than 28 days) within which and the manner in which objections to the proposed fees can be made.   

AND   

(3b)   The Committee agreed to implement the proposed variation to the fees on 15 February 2016, where no objections to the proposed variation in fees were received by 14 February

2016 or if all objections so made were withdrawn by the said date or where objections to the proposed variation to the fees were received by 14 February 2016 and were not withdrawn by the said date, the Committee would consider the objections at a meeting on the 30 March 2016 with a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 31.

Report of the Team Manager Operational and Community Safety is attached, marked 9.

Contact: Mandy Beever (0345 678 9026)

Consideration was given to a report of the Transactional Team Manager in relation to delegated powers to issue and amend licences. (Copy attached to the signed minutes).

The Transactional Team Manager answered a number of general queries in relation to scrap metal collectors.

In response to a request from a Member, the Transactional Team Manager confirmed that a report in relation to Uber Taxis would be presented at the next meeting.

RESOLVED:

That the report of the Transactional Team Manager be noted.

To consider the records of proceedings of the Licensing Act Sub-Committee meetings for September 2015 to December 2015 are attached for the Committees information.

2^nd September 2015

10^th September 2015

Contact: Emily Marshall (01743 257717) or Shelley Davies (01743 257718)

The records of proceedings of the Licensing Act Sub-Committee meetings from September 2015 to December 2015 were received by Members (Copies attached to the signed minutes).

RESOLVED:

That the records of proceedings of the Licensing Act Sub-Committee meetings from September 2015 to December 2015 be noted.

To note that the next meeting of the Strategic Licensing Committee will be held on Wednesday, 30^th March 2016 in the Shrewsbury Room, Shirehall, Shrewsbury.

It was noted that the next meeting of the Strategic Licensing Committee would be held on Wednesday, 30th March 2016 in the Shrewsbury Room, Shirehall.