Agenda for Licensing and Regulatory Sub-Committee on Thursday 7 November 2019, 10.00 am

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, College Heath Road, Mildenhall, IP28 7EY

Contact: Helen Hardinge: Democratic Services Officer  Email: helen.hardinge@westsuffolk.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

11.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

No apologies for absence were received.

12.

Substitutes

Any Member who is substituting for another Member should so indicate, together with the name of the relevant absent Member.

Minutes:

There were no substitutes present at the meeting.

13.

Election of Chair

To seek nominations for the election of Chair for this Sub-Committee meeting.

Minutes:

It was unanimously

 

RESOLVED:

 

That Councillor Margaret Marks be elected as Chair.

14.

Application for the Renewal of a Sex Establishment Licence (Sexual Entertainment Venue - Heaven) (Report No: LSC/WS/19/004) pdf icon PDF 132 KB

Report No: LSC/WS/19/004

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Business Partner (Litigation/Licensing) welcomed all present to the Hearing and drew attention to the procedure for the conduct of Sex Establishment Licensing Hearings which was attached to the agenda.

 

The Chair then invited introductions from all present.

 

The following parties were present at the Hearing:

 

(a)         Applicant

i.     Mr Dean Adams, Director, Newmarket Entertainment Ltd, 109-111 High Street, Newmarket

ii.    Mr Gokul Swami, Director, Newmarket Entertainment Ltd, 109-111 High Street, Newmarket

 

(b)         Interested Parties

i.     Councillor Rachel Hood, Mayor of Newmarket Town Council

ii.    Councillor James Lay, Deputy Mayor of Newmarket Town Council

 

The Licensing Officer presented the report which explained that an application had been received from Newmarket Entertainment Ltd for the renewal of a Sex Establishment Licence for the Sexual Entertainment Venue Heaven, 109-111 High Street, Newmarket.  The premises had been trading since April 2006 and had held a Sexual Entertainment Venue licence since 1 October 2012.  A copy of the application was attached at Appendix 1 of Report No LSC/WS/19/004.

 

The application was to licence the premises for use as a sexual entertainment venue during the following hours (as per the current premises licence and with no proposed changes):-

 

Monday to Wednesday:   10.00am to 02.00am

Thursday to Saturday:     10.00am to 03.20am

Sunday:                         12.00pm to 03.00pm

 

The Officer explained that in addition to the consideration of the renewal application, the Sub-Committee was also requested to again consider the premises signage.  The current and main external sign did not comply with the Council’s standard conditions for sex establishments; in that the sign was larger than permitted.  A dispensation had been granted by (the now dissolved) Forest Heath District Council as part of the licence’s renewal in previous years and the applicant was again requesting this dispensation as part of the application before the Sub-Committee.

 

Following advertisement of the application two representations had been received from interested parties objecting to the application, these were attached at Appendices 3 and 4. 

 

The Sub-Committee then heard the individual submissions from each of the parties present.

 

Dean Adams (applicant) advised the Sub-Committee that he and his fellow Director taken ownership of Heaven in February 2017, prior to which it had been successfully operating since 2006.  He was simply seeking a renewal of the licence together with the dispensation for the signage both as granted previously.

 

Councillor Rachel Hood, on behalf of Newmarket Town Council, then addressed the meeting in relation to the Town Council’s representation set out at Appendix 3. 

 

(Councillor Hood asked that it be formally recorded that she had spoken with the Business Partner (Litigation/Licensing) prior to the meeting and had raised concerns about making her presentation in front of Sub-Committee Member Councillor Roger Dicker.)

 

Councillor Hood made reference to items (a) – (g) as set out in Paragraph 6.3 of the Council’s Sex Establishment Licensing Policy and asserted that the application was in clear conflict with these.

 

Particular reference was made to the nearby property at 113 High Street, Newmarket which was now in the ownership of West Suffolk  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

 

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