Agenda and minutes

To seek nominations for the election for the position of Chair.

RESOLVED – That Councillor L Richards be elected as Chair for the duration of the meeting.

To consider any appeals in accordance with Procedure Rule 15.2 of the Access to Information Procedure Rules (in the event of an Appeal the press and public will be excluded)

(*In accordance with Procedure Rule 15.2, written notice of an appeal must be received by the Head of Governance and Scrutiny Support at least 24 hours before the meeting)

There were no appeals.

1)  To highlight reports or appendices which:

a)  officers have identified as containing exempt information, and where officers consider that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, for the reasons outlined in the report.

b)  To consider whether or not to accept the officers recommendation in respect of the above information.

c)  If so, to formally pass the following resolution:-

  RESOLVED – That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of those parts of the agenda designated as containing exempt information on the grounds that it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the press and public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information

2)  To note that under the Licensing Procedure rules, the press and the public will be excluded from that part of the hearing where Members will deliberate on each application as it is in the public interest to allow the Members to have a full and frank debate on the matter before them.

The agenda contained no exempt information.

There were no late items of business.

To disclose or draw attention to any disclosable pecuniary interests for the purposes of Section 31 of the Localism Act 2011 and paragraphs 13-16 of the Members’ Code of Conduct.

There were no declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests.

To consider the report of the Chief Officer (Elections and Regulatory) that advises Members of an application for the grant of a premises licence made by S & W Properties LTD for Aboo to Go, Unit 7, Clock Buildings, Roundhay Road, Leeds, LS8 2SH.

The Chief Officer (Elections and Regulatory) submitted a report that advised Members of an application made by S & W Properties LTD under Section 17 of the Licensing Act 2003 for a new premises licence for premises known as Aboo to Go, Unit 7, Clock Buildings, Roundhay Road, Leeds, LS8 2SH.

The Legal Adviser to the Sub Committee set out the procedure to be followed and the Senior Licensing Officer outlined the application.

In summary, the application was for:

Late Night Refreshment  -  Every Day 23:00 - 01:00 hours

Performance of Recorded Music  -  Every Day 09:00 - 01:00 hours

Opening Hours  -  Everyday 09:00 – 01:00 hours

The application had received one representation from a member of the public which remained outstanding. No representations to the application had been received from the responsible authorities.

The following were in attendance:

Mrs Uzma Hussain, Business Manager, S & W Properties LTD;

Mr Wajid Hussain, Director, S & W Properties LTD;

An objector who wished to remain anonymous.

Mrs U Hussain addressed the Sub Committee on behalf of the applicant stating that the premises had opened early in 2017 as a desserts restaurant. The premises had a family atmosphere and was at the centre of the community, hosting small events such as MacMillan Coffee Mornings, a Book Club, local councillor meetings and other events including birthday and festive events. The premises made use of a mezzanine floor

Mrs U Hussain explained the reason for the application was to give the applicant the flexibility to cater for events and attract more custom. Currently, the premises had regular as well as out of town visitors who shopped in the area and then visited the premises. Earlier opening hours would allow the applicant to provide breakfasts, and also cater for events like the MacMillan Coffee Mornings and a Book Club which had opened at 09:00 hours and 10:00 hours respectively. Later opening hours would match the offer of city centre and out of town restaurants and would mean that patrons would be encouraged to stay local. She also suggested that the hours as applied for could lead to additional staff being employed.

The Sub Committee heard that a previous licence for the premises had lapsed due to an administrative error and change in ownership. The operation of that licence had been monitored to inform what did and did not work at the premises, this found that peak demand occurred Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays when the premises would open until 01:00 hours to meet demand. During the rest of the week, the premises had closed at 12:00 midnight. This applicant now sought to match those operating hours. Mrs U Hussain believed the business would lose approximately 30% of its weekly takings without the grant of the application as the restaurant would be less attractive to visitors. Also, the applicant was seeking to ensure the business survived the current economic insecurity caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Turning to the comments made regarding noise, nuisance and the car park in the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.