Agendas, reports and minutes

A meeting of the Highland Licensing Committee will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Tuesday 9 May 2023 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 

Claire McArthur, Principal Solicitor – Regulatory Services  (for Head of Legal and Governance)  

Business 

1. Apologies for absence 
Leisgeulan

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. 

There is submitted for confirmation as a correct record the minute of the meeting of the Highland Licensing Committee held on 28 March 2023.

There is circulated Report No HLC/028/23 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 16 March 2023 to 26 April 2023.

The Committee is invited to note the report.

There is circulated Report No HLC/029/23 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:

(a) 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

(b) to a future meeting of the Committee when the applications will be determined in terms of the Hearings Procedure.

There is circulated Report No HLC/030/23 by the Principal Solicitor inviting the Committee to consider an updated assessment of the need for and supply of houses in multiple occupation (“HMO”) in Highland undertaken in 2023 by Community Services.

There is circulated Report No HLC/031/22 by the Principal Solicitor relating to amendments made to the Equality Act 2010 which strengthens the public sector equalities duty, specifically with respect to taxis and private hire vehicles. 

The Committee is invited to approve the Council’s updated vehicle specification and timetable on implementing requirements for licensed wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAV).

8.1 Application for grant of a short term let licence – Wildcat Lodge, Invertromie, Kingussie, PH21 1NS

There is circulated Report No HLC/032/23 by the Principal Solicitor relating to an application which has been received from Dr Ronald Gilmour Neville for the grant of a short term let licence (Ward 20 – Badenoch & Strathspey)

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

8.2 Application for grant of a short term let licence – Osprey Lodge, Invertromie, Kingussie, PH21 1NS

There is circulated (pp.82-88) Report No HLC/033/23 by the Principal Solicitor relating to an application which has been received from Sarah A Black for the grant of a short term let licence (Ward 20 – Badenoch & Strathspey)

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

9.1 Application for the grant of a street trader’s licence – Alan Young   

There is circulated Report No HLC/034/23 by the Principal Solicitor relating to an application which has been received from Alan Young for the grant of a street traders licence (Ward 14 – Inverness Central)

The Committee is invited to determine this application 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.

11.1 Taxi driver’s licence –  Donald Murchison  

There is circulated to members only Report No HLC/035/23  by the Principal Solicitor relating to Donald Murchsion who is the holder of a taxi driver’s licence (Ward 12 – Aird and Loch Ness).

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

 12.1 Application for a private hire car driver’s licence – Elaine Coll

There is circulated  to members only Report No HLC/036/23 by the Principal Solicitor relating to an application which has been received from Elaine Coll for a private hire car driver’s licence (Ward 5 – Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh).

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

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

 

13.1 Premises: Geise Farm, Thurso 

There is circulated to members only Report No HLC/037/23 by the Principal Solicitor relating to an application for the grant of a public entertainment licence for Geise Farm, Thurso by Geise Farm Activities (Ward 2 – Thurso and North West Caithness).

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