Agenda and draft minutes

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

Apologies were received from Cllr Apel and Cllr Chant.

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

There were no urgent items.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the Alcohol and Entertainment Licensing Committee meeting held on Wednesday 1 November 2021.

Minutes from the Committee held Wednesday 1 November 2021 were approved as a correct record.

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 interest.

Questions submitted by members of the public in writing by noon on the previous working day (for a period of up to 15 minutes).

There were no public questions.

1.     Recommendations

3.1   That the Gambling Act 2005 Draft Statement of Policy 2025-2028 at Appendix 1, be considered and approved for public consultation.

3.2   That authority is delegated to the Director of Growth and Place to consider, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Culture and Events,any representations arising from the consultation.  Provided no representations received require substantial amendments to the draft Policy, to recommend approval of the draft Policy by Cabinet on 5 November 2024 with subsequent adoption by Council on 19 November 2024.

3.3   In circumstances where substantial amendments to the Policy are required, that these are reported back to the Alcohol & Entertainment Licensing Committee for further consideration.

Mr Knowles-Ley, Licensing Manager provided a brief introduction. Mr Knowles-Ley affirmed that the Gambling Act 2005 requires all licensing authorities to prepare and publish a statement of licensing principles that it proposes to apply in exercising its various functions under the act commonly known as statement of policy. Mr Knowles-Ley continued and stated that a number of specific matters must be considered and addressed within such a policy in order that the provision of betting, gaming and lotteries within the district is provide in a manner that promotes the three statutory licensing objectives which are preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime or disorder or being used to support crime. Ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way. Protecting children and other vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited by gambling. Mr Knowles-Ley stated that the current policy has had effect since 1 February 2022 following approval by Council and confirmed that it has not been the subject of any legal challenge or complaint. The current policy is due to expire at the end of 31 January 2025, and as a result it is now necessary to undertake a formal review. He explained that should the proposed draft policy be approved today, all statutory consultees, interested parties and stakeholders will be consulted. The consultation period would run for 10 weeks commencing on the 8 July 2024 and conclude on the 15 September 2024.

At the close of the consultation period, officers will carefully review and consider all representations received. It is proposed that authority is delegated to the Director of Growth and Place to consider, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Culture and Events, any representations arising from the consultation.

Provided that no representations received require substantial amendments to the draft policy, it is proposed that a final draft policy be recommend for approval by Cabinet on 5 November 2024 with subsequent adoption by Council on 19 November 2024.

Members asked if the number of fruit machines in pubs had fallen over the past number of years.

RESOLVED:

1.    That the Gambling Act 2005 Draft Statement of Policy 2025-2028 at Appendix 1, be considered and approved for public consultation.

2.    That authority is delegated to the Director of Growth and Place to consider, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Culture and Events, any representations arising from the consultation. Provided no representations received require substantial amendments to the draft Policy, to recommend approval of the draft Policy by Cabinet on 5 November 2024 with subsequent adoption by Council on 19 November 2024.

3.    In circumstances where substantial amendments to the Policy are required, that these are reported back to the Alcohol & Entertainment Licensing Committee for further consideration.

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

(b)  Items which the chairman 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.

Part 2

(Items for which the press and public are/may be excluded)

That in accordance with section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (the Act) the public and the press be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following item on the agenda for the reason that it is likely in view of the nature of the business to be transacted that there would be disclosure to the public of “exempt information” being information of the nature described in Paragraph 1 (information relating to any individual) of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act and the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

There are no restricted items for consideration by the Alcohol and Entertainment Licensing Committee at this meeting.

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