Agendas, reports and minutes

A meeting of the Highland Licensing Committee will take place via Microsoft Teams on Tuesday, 18 January 2022 at 10.00 am.

You are invited to attend and a note of the business to be considered is attached.

Webcast Notice:  This meeting will be filmed and broadcast over the internet on the Highland Council website and will be archived and available for viewing for 12 months thereafter.

Members are reminded that during determination of Licensing Items, in order to be entitled to participate in any vote, Members must be present throughout all of the proceedings.

Members are further reminded that mobile devices, including mobile phones, can be used for following the agenda/reports and delivering speeches but should not be used for any form of communication (text or tweet) during the meeting.

Yours faithfully

Iain Meredith, Principal Solicitor – Regulatory Services
(for Head of Corporate Governance)  

Business

1.  Apologies for absence
Leisgeulan

2.  Declarations of interest
Foillseachaidhean Com-pàirt

Members are asked to consider whether they have an interest to declare in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting.  Any Member making a declaration of interest should indicate whether it is a financial or non-financial interest and include some information on the nature of the interest. Advice may be sought from Officers prior to the meeting taking place.

3.  Confirmation of minutes
Dearbhadh a’ gheàrr-chunntais

There is submitted for confirmation as a correct record the minute of the meeting of the Highland Licensing Committee held on 30 November 2022.

4.  Licences granted under delegated powers 
Ceadachdan a bhuilicheadh fo ùghdarras air a thiomnadh

There is circulated Report No HLC/001/22 by the Principal Solicitor which details all Licences which have been granted under delegated powers under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 granted in the period from 18 November 2021 to 21 December 2022.

The Committee is invited to note the report.

5.  Pending applications – 3 monthly considerations 
Iarrtasan ri thighinn – beachdachaidhean 3 mìosach

There is circulated Report No HLC/002/22 by the Principal Solicitor relating to applications which are currently pending for the grant or renewal of licences under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982.

The Report recommends that the Committee agree to defer the determination of the applications, either:

1. to allow them to be approved under delegated powers in the event that no objections/representations are received and all outstanding documentation has been received from the applicants; or
2. to a future meeting of the Committee when the applications will be determined in terms of the Hearings Procedure.

6.  Sex Entertainment Venues 
Ionadan Fèisteas Feise

There is circulated Report No HLC/003/22 by the Principal Solicitor seeking approval for a public consultation on the Council’s draft policy on the licensing of Sex Entertainment Venues and seeks the views and comments of the Committee on said policy.

The Committee is invited to:

1. Consider and comment on the draft SEV policy detailed at Appendix 1 of this report and specifically provide comment on the following questions:
   1. What should the relevant localities be within Highland?
   2. What is the appropriate number of SEVs that can operate within each locality?
2. Determine whether the duration of an SEV licence should be no longer than 1 year;
3. Determine whether the length of waiver should be no longer than 1 year;
4. Determine whether any further consultees should be added to the list of application consultees.
5. Consider instructing the Principal Solicitor to undertake a second public consultation on the draft Sexual Entertainment Venue Policy Statement as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report.   

7.  Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982
Public Entertainment Licences
Achd Riaghaltais Chatharra (Alba) 1982
Ceadachdan Aoigheachd Phoblaich

7.1  Premises: Durness Village Hall, Durness

There is circulated Report No HLC/004/22 by the Principal Solicitor relating to an application for a public entertainment licence for a public entertainment licence by Durness Village Hall (Ward 1 – North, West and Central Sutherland).

The Committee is invited to determine this matter in accordance with the Council’s Hearings Procedure.

8.  Housing (Scotland) Act 2006
Applications for house in multiple occupation licence 
Achd Riaghaltais Chatharra (Alba) 1982
Iarrtasan airson ceadachd thaighean ann an ioma-sheilbh

8.1       Premises – 37 Telford Street, Inverness

There is circulated Report No HLC/005/22 by the Principal Solicitor relating to the grant of a house in multiple occupation licence from MacAllan Properties Ltd in respect of premises at 37 Telford Street, Inverness (Ward 14 - Inverness Central Ward).  

The Committee is invited to determine this matter in accordance with the Council’s Hearings Procedure.

9.  Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982
Private Hire Car operator’s licence
Highland Council penalty point system 
Achd Riaghaltais Chatharra (Alba) 1982
Ceadachd oibriche tagsaidh –
Siostam Phuingean Peanais Chomhairle na Gàidhealtachd

9.1  Licence Holder – Domingos Moreira

There is circulated Report No HLC/006/22 by the Principal Solicitor relating to a breach of Private Hire Car Operator Licence Conditions (Ward 14 - Inverness Central Ward).

The Committee is invited to determine this matter in accordance with the Council’s Hearings Procedure.

10.  The Committee is asked to resolve that, under Section 50A(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the public be excluded from the meeting during discussion of the following Items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Act.

11.  Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982
Taxi driver’s / operator’s licences 
Achd Riaghaltais Chatharra (Alba) 1982
Ceadachdan Dhràibhearan / Oibrichean Tagsaidh

11.1  Application for grant of taxi driver’s licence – Craig MacLean

There is circulated to members only Report No HLC/007/22 by the Principal Solicitor relating to an application which has been received from Mr Craig MacLean for the grant of a taxi driver’s licence (Ward 21 - Fort William and Ardnamurchan).

The Committee is invited to determine this application in accordance with the Council’s Hearings Procedure.

11.2  Taxi driver’s licence – Mark Urquhart

There is circulated to members only Report No HLC/008/22 by the Principal Solicitor relating to Mark Urquhart, the holder of a taxi driver’s licence (Ward 2 – Thurso and Northwest Caithness).

The Committee is invited to determine this application in accordance with the Council’s Hearings Procedure.

12.  Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982
Skin piercing and tattooing licence 

12.1    Skin piercing and tattooing licence – Gilles Humbert

There is circulated to members only Report No HLC/009/22 by the Principal Solicitor relating to Gilles Humbert, the holder of a skin piercing and tattooing licence (Ward 2 – Thurso and Northwest Caithness).

The Committee is invited to determine this application in accordance with the Council’s Hearings Procedure.