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 Monks, seconded by Cllr Parker.

Decision: that Cllr Bown be elected as Chair for the duration of the meeting.

To receive any apologies for absence.

An apology for absence was received from Cllr Webb.

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.

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

An application has been made for a new premises licence for Beaucroft Beverages, 4 Stroud Close, Colehill, Dorset, BH21 2NX. The application has been out to public consultation.  Representations have been received. A Licensing Sub-Committee must therefore consider the application and representations at a public hearing.

The Senior Licensing Officer introduced the report. She said that the Police had made a representation requesting a number of conditions be added to the licence to which the applicant had agreed.  No other representations had been received from the responsible authorities.  Four relevant representations from members of the public had been received raising concerns about the prevention of nuisance, crime and disorder and public safety.  She explained that concerns due to the increase in traffic and the manufacture of alcohol were not relevant because this application was to deal with sales only.

In response to questions, the Senior Licencing Officer explained that the application was made under the Licencing Act 2003 for the selling of alcohol and that Act does not cover the manufacture of alcohol which she thought was controlled by HMRC.

The Sub-Committee was addressed by Mr Trimmer, the applicant.  He said that his position was set-out in the statement that he had submitted and he considered that all concerns would be mitigated by the proposed conditions.  He said that he had not intended to cause angst to his neighbours.  In response to questions, Mr Trimmer said that the hours in the application were to allow him to choose a time for him to deliver within, that the garage floor and ceiling were made of concrete and that a condition could be imposed to limit how the business could grow including to condition the number of bottles that could be stored.  He said he had obtained the necessary licences from HMRC and also that the petrol in his car and motorbike fuel tanks which could be kept in his garage were far more of a fire risk than his gin distilling.

In response to questions of the Licencing Officer, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service had not submitted any comments in response to the application but the applicant would still need to submit a fire risk assessment to the Fire and Rescue Service.

The Sub-Committee was addressed by Ann Harris but her concerns about manufacturing and storing gin in the applicant’s garage had not been allayed to date.  Her concerns were about safety, and she considered the premises to be inappropriate for the manufacture and selling of gin due to the proximity to neighbouring properties.  She considered that further evidence was required about how the garage would be protected for safety, for example explosion proof lighting switches and the applicant had not said how he intended to mitigate the ignition of alcohol vaper or any adaptations to the garage which were proposed.  In addition, she considered that no risk assessments had been carried out in relation to the proximity to neighbouring properties and fire risk.  She also considered that this was a quiet residential close which is not an appropriate location for sales of gin.

The Sub-Committee was addressed by Mark Westcott who was concerned about the risk of members of the public coming to the premises because the premises address is on the Applicant’s website  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

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 are no urgent items.

There are no exempt items scheduled for this meeting.  

There was no exempt business.