Agenda and minutes

To elect a Chairman for the meeting and the Chairman to present and explain the procedure for the meeting.

Proposed by Cllr Andrews, seconded by Cllr Parker.

Decision: That Cllr Fry be elected Chairman for the duration of the meeting.

To receive any apologies for absence.

An apology for absence was received from Cllr Kate Wheller.

To disclose any pecuniary, other registrable or non-registrable interests as set out in the adopted Code of Conduct. In making their decision 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.

No declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests were made at the meeting.

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.

An application has been made to vary the premises licence for the Rising Sun in Wimborne. The application has been out to public consultation and has attracted a relevant representation. A Licensing Sub-Committee must consider the application and representations at a public hearing.

The sub-committee considered an application to vary the premises licence for the Rising Sun in Wimborne which had attracted relevant representations following public consultation. 

The Licensing Team Leader outlined the application to vary the licence in order to increase the size of the external area. No changes were proposed to the existing times or conditions. 

The sub-committee asked whether there had been any complaints and she confirmed that the Environmental Health team were currently dealing with a complaint, but apart from this, there had been no complaints received since 2018.

Mr Phillip Day, Solicitor for the applicant, presented the application which had originated as a result of a routine police visit when it was noted that the servery in the Sunset Room was outside the area licensed for the sale of alcohol.  Following consultation with the Dorset Council Licensing Team, a full rather than a minor variation application had been submitted.

Mr Day referred to some photographs that he had taken the previous day in response to photographs submitted by the objector. Both sets of photographs had been circulated to the sub-committee the day before the meeting.

He highlighted that some objections had been written under the misapprehension that the application related to a change to the licensing hours which was not a part of this application.  He highlighted that the existing licence permitted longer hours than was understood by some objectors or used by the manager who had chosen not to trade beyond 11pm.  He acknowledged that the premises had a poor reputation before the current manager, Mr Steve Matthews, took up position and began to make changes that included discontinuing the Friday and Saturday discos.

Mr Day explained that the effect of including all of the hatched area on the plan (contained in the report) within the licensed area meant that all of the conditions that applied to the license would also apply to the external area. This included a condition to prevent the external licensed area being used for the consumption of alcohol after midnight. 

The car park was no longer open to the public apart from use of a disabled parking space which meant that neighbours would no longer suffer from people slamming car doors at night.

The sub-committee asked questions of Mr Day and Mr Matthews and in response were informed that there would be occasional live music, for example folk music on a Sunday afternoon, or noise from a large tv screen, but no discos. 

Julia Herbert presented her objection to the application on behalf of a residents’ group.  She stated that there had been problems with the pub in the past and that residents living in its vicinity experienced noise and unreasonable behaviour. She felt that doubling the outside capacity would lead to increased noise nuisance and that as much as the landlord was trying to make improvements, it would remain difficult to control customers who left the premises, creating a mess or urinating in the street.

The sub-committee asked Ms Herbert whether  ...  view the full minutes text for item 50.

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 x 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 was no exempt business.