Agenda and draft minutes

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 12^th November 2025.

The minutes of the previous meeting held on Wednesday 12^th November 2025 were confirmed and signed.  

To disclose any pecuniary, other registrable or non-registrable interests as set out in the adopted Code of Conduct. In making their disclosure councillors are asked to state the agenda item, the nature of the interest and any action they propose to take as part of their declaration.

If required, further advice should be sought from the Monitoring Officer in advance of the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest.  

Representatives of town or parish councils and members of the public who live, work, or represent an organisation within the Dorset Council area are welcome to submit either 1 question or 1 statement for each meeting.  You are welcome to attend the meeting in person or via MS Teams to read out your question and to receive the response.  If you submit a statement for the committee this will be circulated to all members of the committee in advance of the meeting as a supplement to the agenda and appended to the minutes for the formal record but will not be read out at the meeting. The first 8 questions and the first 8 statements received from members of the public or organisations for each meeting will be accepted on a first come first served basis in accordance with the deadline set out below. Further information read Public Participation - Dorset Council  

All submissions must be emailed in full to [email protected] by 8.30am on Monday 26^th January 2026.

When submitting your question or statement please note that:  

·            You can submit 1 question or 1 statement. 

·            a question may include a short pre-amble to set the context.  

·            It must be a single question and any sub-divided questions will not be permitted. 

·            Each question will consist of no more than 450 words, and you will be given up to 3 minutes to present your question.  

·            when submitting a question please indicate who the question is for (e.g., the name of the committee or Portfolio Holder)  

·            Include your name, address, and contact details.  Only your name will be published but we may need your other details to contact you about your question or statement in advance of the meeting.  

·            questions and statements received in line with the council’s rules for public participation will be published as a supplement to the agenda.  

·            all questions, statements and responses will be published in full within the minutes of the meeting.  

There was no public participation.  

The Council, as Licensing Authority under the Licensing Act 2003 (the Act), is required to publish a Statement of Licensing Policy (the Policy) at least every five years. The purpose of the policy statement is to define how the Council will exercise its responsibilities under the Act. The draft policy has been published for an 8 week period of public consultation.

Members were advised that the policy was newly adopted in 2021, having progressed through a full consultation process prior to publication. It was noted that the policy was subject to review every five years with the cumulative impact areas reviewed every three years which had been presented to Members in 2024. John Newcombe, Service Manager Licensing & Community Safety, explained that  a refresh of the main policy had been undertaken, which generated a relatively low number of consultation responses. The consultation was publicised widely in accordance with the statutory requirements , resulting in eight responses in total.

One area of focus highlighted was cumulative impact in Weymouth, particularly in relation to street-based crime. Officers emphasised the need to strike a balanced approach, considering the implications of the cumulative impact area . It was confirmed that this matter would be brought back to Members along with the anticipated changes being proposed by the Government.

Of the eight responses received, the first was from Weymouth Town Council, which highlighted the importance of licensing to economic development in the town. The response referenced the licensing objectives and John Newcombe, Service Manager Licensing & Community Safety noted that Government was considering the introduction of a fifth objective. He proposed that the policy should not be amended at this stage, but that these matters should remain at the forefront during the next full policy review. The response also encouraged responsible retailing and the use of licence revocation only as a last resort and John Newcombe, Service Manager Licensing & Community Safetyconfirmed that no policy changes were being proposed at this time.

Cllr Derek Beer emphasised the importance of maintaining a balanced approach.

Cllr Les Fry thanked Weymouth Town Council for its constructive and helpful comments, noting that the Committee wished to encourage economic growth. He welcomed the feedback provided and confirmed that officer comments would be formally taken forward.

John Newcombe, Service Manager Licensing & Community Safety, referred to the cumulative impact zone and late-night opening premises, noting a decrease in late-night venues and the effect on policing. He expressed concern that retention of the cumulative impact area may not be beneficial for Weymouth in terms of tourism.

Cllr Derek Beer commented that having flexibility within the policy was a useful tool, allowing the authority to adapt to changing circumstances.

Cllr Jill Haynes stated that it was not possible to please everyone and noted that Bournemouth operated within a different economy. She observed that Weymouth was more suited to families and younger people and that the Committee should not force a form of development that was not appropriate for the area.

John Newcombe, Service Manager Licensing & Community Safety, explained that there was a presumption that new or extensions to existing licences within the CIZ should be refused unless there was a strong justification. However, where a proposal offered a different and beneficial offering for the area, the Committee might be minded to approve it.

John Newcombe, Service Manager Licensing & Community Safety, referred to a second consultation response which named  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.

To consider any items of business which the Chairman has had prior notification and considers to be urgent pursuant to section 100B (4) b) of the Local Government Act 1972. The reason for the urgency shall be recorded in the minutes.

There were no urgent items. 

To move the exclusion of the press and the public for the following item in view of the likely disclosure of exempt information within the meaning of paragraph 3 of schedule 12 A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended). The public and the press will be asked to leave the meeting whilst the item of business is considered.  

There are no exempt items scheduled for this meeting.  

There was no exempt business.