Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED:

That Councillor Corcoran be appointed as Chair for this meeting of the Sub-Committee.

Members and Officers are requested to give notice of any personal or prejudicial interest and the nature of that interest, relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the relevant Code of Conduct.

No declarations of any disclosable pecuniary interests or personal interests were received.

To consider the recommendation that:

Under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for Agenda Item 4, on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act. The Public Interest Test has been applied and favours exclusion of the information from the press and public.

RESOLVED:

That under Regulation 14 (2) of the Licensing Act 2003 (Hearings) Regulations 2005, the press and public be excluded from the remainder of this hearing, on the grounds that the Sub-Committee considers that the public interest in so doing outweighs the public interest in the hearing, taking place in public. The Sub-committee made this decision on the basis of the information provided in advance of this meeting by Merseyside Police.

Report of the Assistant Director – Highways and Public Protection

The Sub-Committee considered the report of the Assistant Director – Highways and Public Protection seeking consideration of an application for the Transfer of the Licence Holder of a Premises Licence at Discount Booze, 193 Linacre Road, Litherland, Liverpool L21 8JS.

Merseyside Police made representations that to grant the transfer application would undermine the Licensing Objective of Prevention of Crime and Disorder; and copy of their Representation Notice was attached as Annex 1 to the report.

The Applicant attended the meeting without representation; and explained that his previously appointed representative informed him over the weekend that he was now unable to represent him. The Applicant indicated that he had taken steps to try to engage another representative but had not been able to have someone attend to represent him today. When asked, the Applicant confirmed he would like to be represented at this hearing.

RESOLVED

That the meeting be adjourned, per Regulation 12 of the Licensing Act 2003 hearing Regulations 2005, and that the Sub-Committee re-convene on Thursday, 7 November 2024 at 2.00 p.m. at Bootle Town Hall. 

The Sub-Committee consider that this is necessary in the public interest, given the impact of this determination on the Applicant and his desire to be represented; balanced against the concerns of the Police in objection and therefore the need for this to be determined promptly. However, the Sub-Committee wish to make clear that should the Applicant attend on the 7 November 2024 without representation the Sub-Committee may not necessarily consider any subsequent adjournment is in the public interest.