Agenda and minutes

It was moved by Councillor N Smith, seconded by Councillor R Johnson and

RESOLVED THAT:

Councillor J G Simmons take the chair for the remainder of the meeting.

There were no apologies received.

Under the Code of Conduct members are reminded that in declaring interests you should make clear the nature of that interest and whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest, registerable interest or other interest.

All Members declared that they had been lobbied but came to the hearing with an open mind.

The Chair introduced the parties in attendance and outlined the procedure to be followed. It was agreed that the maximum presentation time would be ten minutes.

The Licencing Enforcement Officer presented her report. She set out the proposed premise licence terms, the steps planned to follow licencing objectives and the nearby premises and their respective licenced hours. She confirmed that the correct notice of hearing procedure had been advertised. She noted that no representations had been received from any Responsible Authorities, although the Parish Council had presented a representation on the grounds of Public Safety and The Prevention of Crime and Disorder. She set out the licencing objectives, the powers available to the committee, and the right of appeal available to parties if they were unhappy with the decision.

The Agent, speaking on behalf of the Applicant, presented his response. He suggested that the proposed licence was consistent with modern standards in the haulage industry. The Truck Park wished to be able to compete with other truck parks, where the regulated sale of alcohol was a common occurrence. He highlighted for the Committee all the nearby places where alcohol was currently sold. He emphasised that no statutory authorities, recognised experts in law in their respective fields, had raised any objections. He illuminated the conditions of licence and the statutory frameworks which Members should consider. He also regretted that the Parish Council had rejected offers to work closely with the Applicant. He emphasised the checks and oversights in place and emphasised that there must be a strong public interest in restricting the sale of alcohol on the premises. It would also damage the business as it would struggle to compete with other similar businesses.

In response to a question from a Member, the Agent clarified where the relevant case law he had referred to had been sourced from.

A Member asked about plans to sell food, and in response the Applicant advised that food would be served all day, and not just during the licenced hours.

The Legal Advisor asked for clarity on the controls in place. The Agent advised that there was a process for when truck drivers came onto the premises, they were met by a member of staff and their details were processed, such as what company they were working for and how long they were staying for. There was CCTV on site and experienced staff with bodycams, who carried out daily security patrols. The Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency (DVSA) also have a depot on site so there were often DVSA members on site, and they had the power to close the park if they felt it to be required. There was, in sum, significantly more controls in place than at pubs, off-licences and even many other truck parks.

Councillor K Merrie presented the representation on behalf of Ellistown and Battleflat Parish Council. He felt that any discussion with the agent before the hearing would have been inappropriate. He then noted that the Truck Park did not  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.