Agendas, reports and minutes

Minute of the Meeting of Highland Licensing Forum held at 14.00hrs on Wednesday, 18th September, 2019 at Committee Room 1, Council HQ.

 

 

In attendance: Ramsay Mcghee, Pat Hayden, Bruce Gray, Katy Duncan, Gordon Clelland, Garry Cameron and Ian Cox.

 

1/ Welcome and Apologies.

It was noted that Gillian Gunn(Womens Aid) has resigned from the Forum due to work commitments.

Bruce Gray will be retiring from the Police in November, he was warmly thanked for his contribution to Highland licensing issues by the Chair. Bruce will be replaced on the Forum by Sergeant Katy Duncan who will head up alcohol Licensing on behalf of the Police in Highland.

2/ Safegaurding Policy.

Donna Munro of Highland Council had submitted apologies for not attending to speak to her presentation on a Child Protection Guidance and Toolkit for Events and Service Sector Providers in Highland. A brief discussion was had on the papers which the Forum considered had merit. It would fall to the Clerk to the Board to consider a link from the Policy Statement to the Toolkit.

3/ Liaison between  Planning and Licensing Departments within Highland Council.

The Chair informed the Forum he had contacted the Clerk to the Board in order to highlight the need for early discussion between these two departments each of whom had a role in applying various conditions in respect of licensing in order to produce a harmonious set of workable conditions which could be instigated at the Planning stage and thereafter follow through into the Alcohol Premises Licence when granted. Ramsay reported the letter had been well received.

4/ New Memberships.

Applicant Rachel Taylor(Spar Trainer) was unanimously elected to the Forum.

Ramsay to contact Craig Ewan of Kingsmills Hotel to get a youth rep from their Apprentices Scheme.

Gordon to promote Forum membership amongst course delegates during forthcoming licensing training events in Skye.

Garry Cameron to contact Fire Officer, David Bell, Sutherland to see if he would attend the Forum as the Fire Service rep.

5/ Issues for Members.

Large scale events held by Voluntary  Organisations  were discussed as many other licensing Boards were insisting that these should where necessary come under the authority of a Personal Licence Holder. For example  an exert from North Aberdeenshire Licensing Policy Statement;

“Where it is evident from an application due to the type of event, capacity, age demographic and location of an event, the Boards may require a person in charge of the bar at the event who has completed training to the same standards as that required to obtain a personal licence under the Act and as recommended by the Licensing Standards Officers or Police Scotland.”

The Forum were supportive of this standpoint, also considering length of licensed Hours to be a relevant consideration.

Ramsay will undertake to look at the guidance for Occasional licences to build  this in, thereafter we will include it in our yearly submission of recommendations to the Board.

6/ Personal Licences.

As part of our annual submission to the Board, the Forum would be recommending if there was a surplus from fees that the Highland Board invest in plastic credit card sized Personal licences as operated by several other Boards(Moray).

7/AOCB.

Scenario of Click and Collect outlets for a Western Isles distillery highlighted, in providing bottles of gin following on line payment to the distillery. Opinion offered was the point of despatch required to be covered by a Premises Licence. Bruce Gray to take this matter forward with the Distillery concerned.

 

Date of joint meeting with Licensing Board to be circulated in due course.