Agenda and minutes

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

RESOLVED – To elect Councillor Andrew Hutchison 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 against the refusal of inspection of documents.

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.

There were no exempt items.

There were no late items.

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.

The report of the Chief Officer Elections and Regulatory requests Members consideration on an application to vary a premises licence, made by Tesco Stores Ltd, for Tesco 11 Long Meadow Gate, Garforth, Leeds, LS25 2BX

(Report attached)

The report of the Chief Officer Elections and Regulatory set out an application to vary a premises licence held by Tesco, 11 Long Meadow Gate, Garforth, Leeds, LS 25 2BX.

The Licensing Officer presented the application to Members as follows:

·  The original licence had been granted through grandfather rights when the Licensing Act was first implemented back in 2005.

·  An application was received to transfer the licence in 2013 and the store then operated for a number of years as a One Stop Store.

·  In January 2020 an application was received by the licensing authority to transfer the licence to Tesco Stores Ltd.

·  The premises currently benefits from the following licensable activity:

Sale of alcohol for consumption off the premises:

o  Monday to Saturday: 08:00 – 23:00

o  Sunday: 10:00 – 22:30

·  Tesco had originally, applied to increase the sale of alcohol for consumption Off the premises Monday to Sunday: 06:00 - 00:00;

·  On receipt of public representations to this application, a representative of Tesco contacted the licensing authority offering to revise the application by reducing the terminal hour applied for to sale of alcohol for consumption Off the premises to Monday to Sunday: 06:00 - 23:00;

·  The variation also includes removal of all embedded restrictions on the licence and to update the approved layout of the store in accordance with the plan submitted with the application.

·  No representations had been received from Responsible Authorities.

·  Entertainment Licensing was in receipt of eight outstanding individual letters of objection from residents expressing concerns under the prevention of public nuisance licensing objective. In particular, the noise created from deliveries.

In attendance at the meeting were:

·  Christopher Rees-Gay, Pinsent Masons LLP – Representing Tesco Stores Ltd

·  Hardish Purewal – Tesco Licensing Manager

·  Richard Milnes – Tesco Store Manager and DPS

·  Councillor Mark Dobson – Representing the views of local constituents

Mr Rees-Gay informed the Sub-Committee of the following points:

·  Tesco is a retailer of 3,400 stores with 2,000 Express stores;

·  Half a billion transactions per year with 7-15% of these alcohol sales;

·  One of the first inn keeping training programmes, with formal training programmes two times per year either online or direct training;

·  Express stores are a local convenience stores for local people;

·  The Store Manager Mr Milnes had held a licence for four years;

·  Mr Milnes had offered to be a direct point of contact should there be any issues raised by residents;

·  Tesco see the community as part of their ethos. Tesco support local charities with money being split between such charities as Age UK, HFT Leeds and local brownie groups;

·  During the Covid-19 pandemic they had also provided food for homeless working with local charities;

·  The hours for the sale of alcohol had been revised to 06:00-23:00 in line with the operating hours of the convenience store;

·  Requests for the change in operating hours had been from people who are shift workers so that they are not having to visit the premises twice;

·  No Responsible Authorities had submitted representations which in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.