APPROVED Minute of Licensing Committee 05.08.2026 v3
West Dunbartonshire Council · 5 August 2026
Back to Licensing Committee — 5 August 2026 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Unmarked LICENSING COMMITTEE At a Meeting of the Licensing Committee held in the Civic Space, 16 Church Street, Dumbarton, on Wednesday, 5 August 2026 at 2.00 p.m. Present: Councillors Ian Dickson, John Millar, Lawrence O’Neill, Chris Pollock, Gordon Scanlan and Hazel Sorell. Attending: Graeme Forrester, Manager of Democratic and Registration Services (Legal Officer); Robert Mackie, Senior Licensing Officer; Lawrence Knighton, Licensing Standards Officer; Inspector Morven Sutherland, Police Scotland; Louise Allan, Licensing Assistant; and Lynn Straker, Committee Officer. Also Attending: Aidan Cameron and Judi Jamieson, Building Standards Officers; Ms Agata Marczak, Applicant, and Ms Gillian Skimming, Objector. Apologies: Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of Councillors Gurpreet Singh Johal and Jonathan McColl. Councillor Lawrence O’Neill in Chair DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST It was noted that there were no declarations of interest in the items of business on the agenda. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING The Minutes of the Meeting of the Licensing Committee held on 3 June 2026 were submitted and approved as a correct record. OPEN FORUM The Committee noted that no Open Forum questions had been submitted by members of the public.
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Unmarked APPLICATION FOR GRANT OF A TAXI/PRIVATE HIRE CAR DRIVER’S LICENCE (CONTINUED) A report was submitted by the Chief Officer – Regulatory and Regeneration requesting the Committee to consider an application for grant of a Taxi/Private Hire Car Driver's Licence for Mr Steven McGougan. Members first heard from the Legal Officer advising the applicant had been notified of the hearing but was not in attendance and had been absent from the previous two hearings to which they had been invited to attend, and that the Committee could competently determine the application in the absence of the applicant. After discussion, Members agreed to refuse the licence on the grounds that the applicant was not a fit and proper person to hold the licence. DECIDED: - Members agreed to refuse the Taxi / Private Hire Driver’s Licence on the grounds that the applicant was not a fit and proper person to hold the licence. APPLICATION FOR GRANT OF A SHORT TERM LET LICENCE A report was submitted by the Chief Officer – Regulatory and Regeneration requesting the Committee to consider an application for grant of a Short Term Let Licence at Flat 4, 174 Middleton Street, Alexandria G83 0BP. Members first heard from the Legal Officer in explanation of the application and then from the Building Standards Officers who provided detail of outstanding building standards requirements. Members then heard from Ms Skimming who spoke to her objection to the application, and subsequently from Police Scotland who advised that no recorded complaints had been receivedregarding the property . Members then heard from Ms Marczak of Value Up Ltd. who spoke to the application. After discussion and having heard the Applicant and the Objector in answer to Members’ questions, Councillor O’Neill, Chair, seconded by Councillor Dickson, moved a Motion to grant the licence recognising the requirement on the applicant to satisfy all Building Standards requirements before operating. Councillor Millar, seconded by Councillor Sorrell, moved to refuse the Licence on the grounds that information provided to the Committee about neighbours’ experiences of the current long-term lease of the property demonstrated that the property was not suitable to be used as a short term let.
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Unmarked On a roll call vote being taken, 2 Members voted for the amendment, namely Councillors Millar and Sorrell, and 4 Members voted for the motion, namely Councillors Dickson, O’Neill, Pollock, and Scanlan. The motion was accordingly declared carried. DECIDED: - It was decided to grant the Short Term Let licence recognising the requirement on the applicant to satisfy all Building Standards requirements before operating. The meeting closed at 2.58 p.m.