Agenda and draft minutes

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.

There were no apologies for absence.

Apologies for lateness were received from Councillor Brett.

Members are invited to identify any personal or prejudicial interests relevant to items on the agenda.

Please refer to the attached guidance note.

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive the report (No.148) of the Director of Environment Street Scene and Parks.

RECEIVED the report of the Director of Environment Street Scene and Parks (Report No. 148) Licensing and Gambling Code of Conduct.

To amend/agree the draft Licensing & Gambling Code of Conduct.

RECEIVED the draft Licensing and Gambling Code of Conduct.

NOTED members discussed the Code and made the following amendments:

a.         4. Gifts and Hospitality - 4.1 ‘Members should have particular regard’ changed to: ‘Members of the Licensing Committee should have particular regard’

b.         5. Members’ Interests Licensing and Gambling Applications - 5.2 ‘The existence and nature of an interest must be declared regardless of whether Members are sitting on the Sub-Committee’ changed to: ‘The existence and nature of an interest must be declared when Members are sitting on the Sub-Committee’

c.         5. Members’ Interests Licensing and Gambling Applications - 5.3 ‘As a general rule, Members are not invited to sit on any Sub-Committee which will consider applications relating to the ward which they represent or live in’ changed to:  ‘As a general rule, Members are not invited to sit on any Sub-Committee which will consider applications relating to the ward which they represent’

d.         6. Lobbying – 6.1 ‘that Sub Committee Members must politely explain that they cannot discuss the matter and refer the lobbyist to the Licensing Unit or to his/her Ward Member, who can explain the process of decision making’ changed to: ‘that Sub Committee Members must politely explain that they cannot discuss the matter and refer the lobbyist to the Licensing Unit or to his/her Ward Member.  However the Member can explain the process of decision making in general terms’.

AGREED to approve the Licensing and Gambling Code of Conduct subject to the above amendments.

To agree the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 24 October 2007.

The minutes of the meeting held on 24 October 2007 were confirmed as a correct record of the meeting.