Agenda and minutes

It was moved by Councillor Jones and seconded by Councillor Redfern, that Councillor Bolton be appointed Chairman for the meeting. After being put to the meeting and a vote taken, the motion was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED – that Councillor Bolton be appointed Chairman for the meeting.

To receive apologies for absence.

There were no apologies for absence.

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive any Members’ Declarations of Interest.

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve the Minutes of Previous Sub-Committee meetings:

19 October 2022

It was moved by Councillor Redfern and seconded by Councillor Jones that the Minutes of the meeting held on 19 October 2022 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman. After being put to the meeting, and a vote taken, the motion was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED - that the minutes of the meeting held on 19 October 2022 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

A summary of the procedure to be followed during consideration of item 7 is attached.

The Chairman drew the hearings attention to the Summary of Procedure which was included in the agenda pack at pages 10 – 16.

An application for a new premises licence has been received from WH Smith Retail Holdings Limited. Representations against the application have been made by interested parties. Where representations are received against an application, and not withdrawn, there must be a Licensing Sub-Committee meeting to decide that application. This report is to inform that decision.

The Sub-Committee received a report on the application for a New Premises Licence for WH Smith, Bishop’s Stortford Railway Station, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM23 3BL.

The Senior Licensing and Enforcement Officer presented the report and Members of the Sub-Committee, the applicant and the interested party asked questions. The applicant’s legal representative presented the application on behalf of the applicant and he answered questions from the Sub-Committee and the interested party.

The interested party presented her objections to the application and answered questions from the Sub-Committee and the applicant’s legal representative.

In line with procedure, at the conclusion of the closing submissions, the Sub-Committee retired to consider the evidence presented to the hearing by the applicant’s legal representative and an objector to the application. They were accompanied by the Democratic Services Officer and the Litigation and Advisory Lawyer.

The Sub-Committee reconvened in public session to give its decision.   

RESOLVED – that the licence for a New Premises Licence for WH Smith, Bishop’s Stortford Railway Station, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM23 3BL be granted for the sale of alcohol for consumption off the premises, Monday - Friday 08:00 – 19:00, Saturday 08:00 – 18:00 and Sunday 08:00 – 16:00, subject to the conditions offered up in the operating schedule and the further conditions offered up during the consultation period.

The Chairman advised that the decision would be issued in writing, and that there was the right of appeal within 21 days to the magistrate’s court.

To consider such other business as, in the opinion of the Chairman of the meeting, is of sufficient urgency to warrant consideration and is not likely to involve the disclosure of exempt information.

There was no urgent business.