Agenda and minutes

Any apologies for absence that have been received will be noted at this point.

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Bangert.

The Chair will announce any urgent items that due to special circumstances are to be dealt with under the agenda item below relating to Late Items.

There were no urgent items.

Details of members’ personal interests arising from their membership of parish councils or West Sussex County Council or from their being Chichester District Council or West Sussex County Council appointees to outside organisations or members of outside bodies or from being employees of such organisations or bodies.

Such interests are hereby disclosed by each member in respect of agenda items where the Council or outside body concerned has been consulted in respect of that particular item or application.

Declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests, personal interests and prejudicial interests are to be made by members of the Committee in respect of matters on the agenda or this meeting.

There were no declarations of interests.

In accordance with Chichester District Council’s scheme for public question time the Committee will receive any questions which have been submitted by members of the public in writing by noon two working days before the meeting. Each questioner will be given up to three minutes to ask their question. The total time allocated for public question time is 15 minutes subject to the Chair’s discretion to extend that period.

There were no public questions received.

The Committee is requested to consider to the report and its appendices and make the following resolutions:

3.1   The proposed fees, duration and conditions of licences as amended (subject to the following bandings being adopted, and those premises with a non-domestic rateable value falling into Band A or B being given a 20% reduction in fee) be adopted.

3.2   The introduction of the proposed license fees be deferred until 30 September 2025 to support:

3.2.1 The regeneration of our City and the transformation of our high streets;

3.2.2 An improved evening and night-time economy (ENTE) offer for all ages;

3.3   Any licences granted in the interim period be for a period expiring no later than 30 September 2025.

The Chairman invited Laurence Foord Divisional Manager, to present the report.

Mr Foord stated that the General Licensing Committee had been convened following previous reports being presented to Cabinet on 11 June 2024, General Licensing on 3 July 2024 and back to Cabinet on the 15 July as part of the process to set the local fees conditions and the duration of payment licenses for Chichester District under the business and Planning Act 202 as amended.

Members of the General Licensing Committee asked if there was any flexibility in the council policy that could enable a further reduction of fees for specific venues. Officers responded and stated that the responsibility of functions of fee changes falls under the General Licensing Committee remit via recommendations from Cabinet Mr Foord also affirmed that they would need to gain clarity on weather that was possible. Members asked if the reductions in fees would contribute positively to the nighttime economy. Officers responded and asserted that it had added a vibrancy to the city centre. Additionally, the premises that utilised the pavement licenses also benefited.

Members asked officers how they were engaging businesses to give them early notice and ensure that no one gets caught out by not knowing that they need a license. Officers stated they would be working closely with teams like Economic Development and Chichester Business Improvement District (BID) and Parish and Town councils to ensure that the message is widely disseminated to all Businesses.

RESOLVED

1.   The proposed fees, duration and conditions of licences as amended (subject to the following bandings being adopted, and those premises with a non-domestic rateable value falling into Band A or B being given a 20% reduction in fee) be adopted.

2.   The introduction of the proposed license fees be deferred until 30 September 2025 to support:

2.1 The regeneration of our City and the transformation of our high streets;

2.2 An improved evening and night-time economy (ENTE) offer for all ages;

2.3   Any licences granted in the interim period be for a period expiring no later than 30 September 2025.

(a)  Items added to the agenda papers and made available for public inspection;

(b)  Items which the Chair has agreed should be taken as matters of urgency by reason of special circumstances to be reported at the meeting.

There were no late items.

There are no restricted items for consideration by the General Licensing Committee at this meeting.

There was no requirement to exclude the press or the public.