Document Pack - Licensing Forum - 14 November 2023
West Dunbartonshire Council · 14 November 2023
Back to Licensing Board — 14 November 2023 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE LICENSING FORUM 1 November 2023 Dear Sir/Madam, The Statutory Joint Meeting of the West Dunbartonshire Licensing Forum and Licensing Board will commence at 2.00 p.m. on Tuesday, 14 November 2023 (see separate agenda) Notice is hereby given that a Meeting of the West Dunbartonshire Licensing Forum will be held immediately following the conclusion of the Joint Meeting. This will be a Hybrid meeting where Members have the option to attend the meeting remotely via Zoom Video Conference, or in person at the Civic Space, 16 Church Street, Dumbarton, G82 1QL. The business of the Licensing Forum Meeting is as shown on the enclosed agenda. Yours faithfully PAUL SMITH Chair to the Licensing Forum Page 1
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BUSINESS OF MEETING:- 1 APOLOGIES 2 MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING 5 - 9 Submit for approval as a correct record the Minutes of the Meeting of the Licensing Forum held on 29 August 2023. 3 PROPOSAL FOR NEW MEMBER OF WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE LICENSING FORUM Submit proposal from Licensing Standards Officers for a new Member of West Dunbartonshire Licensing Forum. 4 LICENSING STANDARDS OFFICERS – UPDATE The Licensing Standards Officers will provide a verbal update on issues and events that may be of interest to the Forum. 5 UPDATE FROM POLICE SCOTLAND David Holmes, the Licensing Sergeant, Police Scotland, will provide a verbal update on policing in the West Dunbartonshire area. 6 VERBAL UPDATE FROM MSYPs / YOUTH COUNCILLORS Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYP) / Youth Councillors and/or Representative of Young People will provide a verbal update. 7 VERBAL UPDATE FROM NHS GREATER GLASGOW AND CLYDE/WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE PARTNERSHIP NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde/West Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership will provide a verbal update on issues that may be of interest to Members of the Licensing Forum. 8 LICENSING (SCOTLAND) ACT 2005 – STATISTICAL INFORMATION: PERSONAL AND PREMISES LICENCES The Forum is advised that premises and personal licence applications, in terms of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 for the period 29 August to 1 November 2023, have been received as follows:- Page 2
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Premises Licence Applications No. Applications for Premises Licences granted 268 Applications for Premises Licences refused 13 Applications for Premises Licences (Members’ Clubs) granted 32 Applications for Major Variation of Premises Licence granted 212 Applications for Variation of Premises Licence pending Hearings 3 Applications for Provisional Premises Licence pending Hearings 1 Application for Provisional Premises Licence (Members’ Club) 0 Application for Temporary Premises Licence pending Hearing 0 Application for Premises Licence pending 0 Premises Licences revoked 0 Personal Licence Applications No. Applications for Personal Licences received 1594 Personal Licences issued 1580 Application for Personal Licence refused 4 Application for Personal Licence revoked 3 10 FUTURE TOPICS OF DISCUSSION Mr McDougall, Depute Clerk to the Licensing Board, will provide a verbal update on Future Topics of Discussion for Licensing Forum. 11 CURRENT TRENDS IN LICENSING Members are invited to discuss any current trends in Licensing. 12 DATE OF NEXT MEETING The Forum is asked to note the next meeting of the Licensing Forum will be held on Tuesday, 5 March 2024 at 2.00 p.m. in Civic Space as a Hybrid Meeting, with Members having the option of attending in person in the Civic Space, 16 Church Street, Dumbarton, or remotely via Zoom Video Conference. Page 3
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Distribution:- Holders of Premises Licences and Personal Licences:- Paul Smith, Licence Holder & Representative of Entertainment Section of Licensed Trade (Acting Chairperson) Ian McLean, Representative of the On Sales Section of the Licensed Trade Craig McLaughlin, Personal Licence Holder/Premises Licence Operator Ronnie McColl, Personal Licence Holder/Premises Licence Operator Arun Thapar, Personal/Premises License Holder John Struthers, Personal/Premises License Holder Representative of the Chief Constable:- Sergeant David Holmes, Licensing Sergeant, L Division, Police Scotland Persons having functions relating to Health, Education and Social Work:- Sylvia Chatfield, Head of Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Addictions, West Dunbartonshire Community Health and Care Partnership Dr Daniel Carter, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board Representative Christine Anderson, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board Representative Representative for Young People:- Dylan Murdoch, Representative for Young People Representative of Persons resident within the Forum’s area:- Pauline Larking, Bonhill and Dalmonoak Community Council Isabel Plunkett, Old Kilpatrick Community Council Representative of Members Clubs within the Forum’s area:- Vacancy Representative of Supermarkets:- Allan Cowan, Lidl Supermarket, Dumbarton Representative of Pubwatch:- Vacancy Chair of the Licensing Board:- Councillor June McKay Licensing Standards Officers:- Peter Clyde, Licensing Standards Officer Lawrence Knighton, Licensing Standards Officer Officers:- Alan Douglas, Clerk to the Licensing Board Michael McDougall, Depute Clerk to the Licensing Board For information on the above Agenda please contact: Lynn Straker, Committee Officer, Regulatory, Municipal Buildings, Station Road, Dumbarton G82 1NR Email: lynn.straker@west-dunbarton.gov.uk Page 4
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Minutes of Meeting of West Dunbartonshire Licensing Forum Tuesday, 29 August 2023 at 10.02 a.m. held as a Hybrid Meeting in the Civic Space, 16 Church Street, Dumbarton Present: Paul Smith, Representative for Entertainment Section of the Licensed Trade (Chair of Licensing Forum) Councillor June McKay, Chair of Licensing Board, West Dunbartonshire Council Councillor Ian Dickson, West Dunbartonshire Council Michael McDougall, Depute Clerk to the Licensing Board, West Dunbartonshire Council Peter Clyde, Licensing Standards Officer, West Dunbartonshire Council Lawrence Knighton, Licensing Standards Officer (LSO), West Dunbartonshire Council Sergeant David Holmes, Police Scotland – Licensing Sergeant for West Dunbartonshire Pauline Orr Larking, Bonhill and Dalmonach Community Council Representative Isobel Plunkett, Old Kilpatrick Community Council Representative Craig McLaughlin, Personal/Premises License Holder Arun Thapar, Personal/Premises License Holder John Struthers, Personal/Premises License Holder Attending: Lucy McGovern, Working 4U Officer, West Dunbartonshire Council Dylan Murdoch, Representative for Young People Chris Kelly, Health Improvement Lead Jim Wilson, Head of Licensing, Scottish Government Constable Gary Kenhard, Police Scotland Representative Lynn Straker and Nicola Moorcroft, Committee Officers. Apologies: Apologies were intimated on behalf of Councillor Lawrence O’Neill, West Dunbartonshire Council and Ronnie McColl, Personal/Premises License Holder Mr Paul Smith in the Chair VERBAL UPDATE FROM CHAIR Mr Smith, Chair, welcomed Members to the meeting and advised that all updates would be covered through the items of business on the agenda. Item 2 Page 5
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MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING The Minutes of the Meeting of the Joint Meeting of the Licensing Forum held on 6 June 2023 were submitted and approved as a correct record. PROPOSAL FOR NEW MEMBERS OF WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE LICENSING FORUM Mr McDougall, Section Head – Licensing, proposed two new Members for the West Dunbartonshire Licensing Forum – Mr Arun Thapar and Mr John Struthers. After discussion and having heard the Section Head – Licensing in further explanation, Members of the Forum agreed to accept Mr Thapar and Mr Struthers as new Members of the Forum as Personal/Premises License Holders. BEST BAR NONE SCHEME BRIEFING Mr McDougall, Section Head – Licensing, invited Constable Gary Kenhard, Police Scotland to introduce the Best Bar None scheme and detail its aims and objectives. After discussion and having heard Constable Kenhard in further explanation of the Best Bar None Scheme - https://www.bbnscotland.co.uk/ - it was agreed this was something the Licensing Standards Officers could take away and have conversations with West Dunbartonshire License Holders and bring back for future discussion at the next Licensing Forum meeting on 14 November 2023. UPDATE FROM SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT Mr McDougall, Section Head – Licensing, invited Mr Jim Wilson, Head of Licensing - Scottish Government, to provide a Verbal Update in relation to alcohol licensing and the current projects and initiatives the Scottish Government were currently running or planning. Mr Wilson noted it was important to ensure alcohol legislation is appropriate and suitable for Scotland and also to address the increasing demand for alcohol delivery to home properties and ensure appropriate checks are still being carried out on customers. CONSULTATION ON POLICY Mr McDougall, Section Head - Licensing, provided a verbal update on the Licensing Board’s Statement of Licensing Policy and Assessment of Overprovision. He thanked all those who had already participated in the Consultation through various forums and surveys and noted the Licensing Forum is requested to consider responding to the Licensing Board's consultation on its new Statement of Licensing Policy and Assessment of Overprovision and consider whether to respond. The consultation can be found by clicking here or going to https://arcg.is/11PCPa. Page 6
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VERBAL UPDATE FROM LICENSING STANDARDS OFFICERS The Licensing Standards Officers, Mr Clyde and Mr Knighton, provided a verbal update on issues and events that may be of interest to Members of the Licensing Forum. They noted there was an increase in premises being sold or liquidated and new Premises License Holders in place but the License still remained in the original details so was important to ensure these were updated correctly. Mr Clyde noted Inspection numbers were back to pre-Covid-19 levels and were mainly positive and there were still an increasing number of applications which was promising for the sector in West Dunbartonshire. He noted a number of Occasional Licenses had been granted for events in West Dunbartonshire including the Highland Games, Pipe Band Championships and UCI Cycling Events and all had gone well. VERBAL UPDATE FROM MSYPs / YOUTH COUNCILLORS Mr Dylan Murdoch, Representative for Young People, provided a verbal update on what they had been working on with regards to alcohol consumption by young people in West Dunbartonshire. He noted some disappointing statistics showing an increased number of people even aged as young as 12 and 13 years old had advised they had tried alcohol and a number even advised they consumed alcohol regularly. He advised they were working hard to raise awareness of underage drinking and working closely with young people to advise them of the dangers. He noted they were also working closely with local premises and ensuring they were following strict guidelines and not selling alcohol to underage people. Lastly Mr Murdoch noted there were an increasing number of young people advising it was very easy to get a fake ID document such as a Driving License for as little as £26 online and use this to purchase alcohol so were working hard to highlight these websites to Police Scotland and assist Premises in identifying a potentially fake ID document. VERBAL UPDATE FROM NHS GREATER GLASGOW AND CLYDE/WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE PARTNERSHIP Mr Chris Kelly, Health Improvement Lead – West Dunbartonshire Council, provided a verbal update on issues that may be of interest to Members of the Licensing Forum. He noted worrying statistics on Overprovision levels and recent NHS results showed West Dunbartonshire had the 4th highest number of alcohol related deaths in the country. VERBAL UPDATE FROM POLICE SCOTLAND Sergeant David Holmes, The Licensing Sergeant - Police Scotland, provided a verbal update on policing in the West Dunbartonshire area. He advised there were a range of projects ongoing at the moment to curb anti-social behaviour in places in Page 7
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West Dunbartonshire including Clydebank Shopping Centre, East End Park in Dumbarton and Balloch Park. He noted an increase in the number of young people being cautioned for underage drinking and a strong link between underage drinking and youth disorder. He said it was difficult to find out where young people had accessed alcohol and noted he would work closely with Mr Dylan Murdoch to find out more from young people and what more could be done to discourage underage drinking. LICENSING (SCOTLAND) ACT 2005 – STATISTICAL INFORMATION: PERSONAL AND PREMISES LICENCES The Forum advised that premises and personal licence applications, in terms of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 for the period 22 February 2023 to 22 May 2023, have been received as follows:- Applications for Premises Licences granted 266 Applications for Premises Licences refused 13 Applications for Premises Licences (Members’ Clubs) granted 32 Applications for Major Variation of Premises Licence granted 205 Applications for Variation of Premises Licence pending Hearings 5 Applications for Provisional Premises Licence pending Hearings 2 Application for Provisional Premises Licence (Members’ Club) 0 Application for Temporary Premises Licence pending Hearing 0 Application for Premises Licence pending 0 Premises Licences revoked 0 Personal Licence Applications No. Applications for Personal Licences received 1578 Personal Licences issued 1569 Application for Personal Licence refused 4 Application for Personal Licence revoked 3 ANY OTHER BUSINESS Mr Smith, Chair, took the opportunity to advise Members of the Licensing Forum that the next meeting of the Licensing Forum would be his last as Chair. He noted he would still remain as a Member of the Forum and thanked Members for their support. He asked them to have a discussion and bring proposals for a new Chair to the next meeting to be agreed. DATE OF NEXT MEETING Members of the Forum agreed that the next meeting of the Licensing Forum would be held as a Joint Hybrid meeting with the West Dunbartonshire Licensing Board on Tuesday, 14 November 2023 at 2.00 p.m. where Members can attend in person at Page 8
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Civic Space, 16 Church Street, Dumbarton, G82 1QL or remotely via Zoom Video Conference. The meeting closed at 12.03 p.m. Page 9