Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence and notices of appointment of Substitute Members (if any).

Apologies were received from Cllrs D Broom, J Buczkowski, L Cruwys, S Keable and M Jenkins.

The Clerk confirmed that despite the apologies, as six Members of the Committee were present the meeting was quorate.

To receive any questions from members of the public and replies thereto.

There were no public questions.

To record any interests on agenda matters.

There were no declarations of interest received.

To consider whether to approve the minutes as a correct record of the meeting held on 27 June 2025.

The minutes of the previous meeting held on the 27 June 2025 were agreed as a true record and SIGNED by the Chair.

To provide the Committee with an update on Licensing Act 2003 activity undertaken by the Licensing Team during first half of 2025/26.

To provide an overview of legislative and guidance changes and make recommendations where these have an impact on service delivery.

The Committee had before it and NOTED a report * from the Team Leader, (Commercial), Public Health covering Licensing Act 2003 activity undertaken by the Licensing Team during the first half of 2025/2026.

The following was highlighted within the report:

·       The report gave an overview of the activity undertaken during the first half of 2025/2026.

·       The contextual data contained within the report also included a number of charts as requested at the previous Committee meeting.

·       There were currently 1,479 active personal licences that had been issued and a total of 411 premises that were licenced under the Licensing Act 2003.

·       There had been a total of 247 Temporary Event Notices (TENS) submitted in the first half of 2025.  These continued to be relatively stable.

·       The work undertaken by the Safety Advisory Committee (SAG) continued where Licensing Officers formed part of the panel.  There had been 12 event organisers attend SAG meetings in the first half of 2025 where licensing related matters would have been raised and discussed if appropriate.

·       A new regional SAG Chair’s Forum had been established by the Devon and Cornwall Police Constabularies.  The main objective of the Forum was to share information and knowledge and to promote consistency in the way that SAG Advisory Groups were administered by Local Authorities.

·       The administration of SAG alongside the Chair role sat within the Council’s Commercial Team and a significant amount of work was undertaken to co-ordinate those meetings in order to offer advice across multi sectors.

·       The Licensing Team had carried out a total of 65 licensed premises inspections.  This was a significant uplift on the number of inspections from the previous year.

·       The Licensing Team structure had been unstable over the last two years.  A review had taken place which had resulted in approval of some new posts and changes.  An advertisement for a Senior Licensing Officer was currently live and a Regulatory Officer had been employed.

·       A further post for an Animal Welfare Officer had been advertised and interviews taken place.  It was hopeful that someone would be in post early 2026.

·       Thomas Keating, Lead Officer (Food, Safety and Licensing) post was coming to an end this year.  He had been seconded into the lead role that had crossed over between Licensing, Food Health & Safety and Commercial.

·       There had been a total of four Licensing Sub-Committee Hearings which had been an increase from the previous year.

·       The Hearing for Re-Fuel Southwest had been to consider a new premises licence application which had been granted as applied for.  This was appealed by an interested party who had made representations during the process.  However, due to ongoing mediation between the Licensing Team, Legal Services, the Licence Holder and the appellant an agreement had been reached prior to a Court date, which had been formalised through the Magistrates Court Order.  Costs had been awarded to Mid Devon District Council.

·       The Terrorism (Protection of the Premises) Act 2025, commonly known as Martyn’s Law received Royal Assent in April 2025 with an  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.