No substitutes are allowed and the Quorum is 5 Members.

Apologies were received from Councillors Brundin and Williams, and Councillor Brett apologised for his expected late arrival.

Councillors serving on the Committee are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they may have in any of the following agenda items.

None declared

The Head of Environmental Development has submitted a report which informs the Committee of the progress made by the Licensing authority under the Licensing Act 2003 and Gambling Act 2005 between January 2011 and March 2011.

The Committee is asked:

(a)                           To note the contents of the report;

(b)                           To make comments and recommendations regarding the future work of the Licensing Function.

The Head of Environmental Development submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) concerning licensing activity from January to March 2011.

Julian Alison (Licensing Team Leader) presented the report to the Committee and explained the background.  He explained that Thames Valley police were now aware that any incidents linked to a particular licence should be investigated thoroughly, and that evidence should be properly proven before a request for a review was made. Meanwhile, enforcement activity continued apace.  Sometimes a licence holder simply needed to be reminded of best practice.  The following additional information was provided:-

• Appeal hearings were held at the Magistrate’s Court, which was open to the public, and Councillors were free to attend if they wished;
• Test purchases [for sales of alcohol to under-age people] were expected to start again shortly. Thames Valley Police had asked if the Oxford Community Safety Partnership was able to assist with funding for the operations, however funding had not been provided centrally to either organisation. Julian Alison suggested that Councillors inform the Licensing Team of any concerns they had, and the Licensing Team would speak directly with the premises;
• It was suggested that attention should also be paid to the admission of underage people to some clubs in the City;
• Premises for inspection or test purchasing were identified as a result of intelligence supplied to Thames Valley Police and the Licensing Team;
• Julian Alison hoped to meet Katy Barrow-Grint the new Inspector for Oxford City centre shortly;
• It was noted that the Police Licensing Team had relocated to the Police headquarters at Kidlington. The Thames Valley Police Licensing Officer, Alex Bloomfield, had attended recent enforcement actions carried out by the City Council, and would be attending the Member Training on 8^th July 2011;
• Julian Allison reminded the Committee that a training session on licensing would be held on 8^th July in the Town Hall. Leo Charalambides, a barrister, would be providing the training, and members were urged to attend. It was intended that there would be shorter evening training sessions as back up later in the year. Councillors generally welcomed the provision of licensing training.
• It was suggested that the Chief Constable should meet with the Committee at least once a year in order to explain how the Police intended to run its licensing activities. Julian Alison would investigate this suggestion.

Resolved to note the report.

The Committee is asked to approve the minutes of the meetings held on 1 March 2011 and 19 May 2011.

Resolved to confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meetings held on 1^st March and 19^th May 2011.

It was noted that Licensing Hearings had been scheduled at 6 weekly intervals, subject to applications received.  Julian Allison would circulate the dates to members of the Committee.

The Committee is asked to note that it will meet on the following dates at the Town Hall:

Wednesday 19 October 2011

Wednesday 22^nd February 2012

Resolved to note the following dates:-

Wednesday 19^th October 2011

Wednesday 22^nd February 2012