Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Billy Brookes, Sarah Parkin and Adrian Benjamin.

At this point in the meeting, Members were asked to disclose any relevant interests. The following interests were disclosed:

• Councillors Cullen asked it be noted that he was a personal licence holder.

• Councillor Leonard asked it be noted that he was a personal licence holder.

• Councillor Taylor asked it be noted that, in relation to Item 4, he was a Spilsby Town Councillor.

·       Councillor Mangion advised that he would be speaking on Item 4.

To confirm the Open and Exempt Minutes of the General Licensing Meeting held on 29 July 2022.

The Open and Exempt minutes of the General Licensing Committee Meeting held on 29^th July 2022 were agreed as a correct record.

Report to follow.

An open report was submitted by the Principal Licensing Officer which enabled Members to consider designating a section of Boston Road, Spilsby, as a prohibited street for the purpose of street trading.

Members were referred to the information contained in the report, pages 1 to 3 of the Agenda refer.

The Principal Licensing Officer set out the background to the report and advised Members that they were being asked if they wanted to take out a notice in the newspaper to say that they were minded to designate the road as a prohibited street, after which, they would have to consider any comments received.

Councillor Mangion, Ward Member explained that a van had been trading at that location on the bottom of Boston Road for months and that he had received complaints from residents with regards to noise and light nuisance.  He reported that there was a concern of risks for potential car accidents, injuries or death.  He confirmed that the Licensing Officer had also received complaints from the residents of Spilsby, along with other objections with regards to the van trading in that location.

A Member advised that Spilsby Town Council had made enquiries with regards to this matter and that the land had no ownership and concurred with Councillor Mangion’s points.  He also commented that the sign at eye-level where the van was parked,  was a distraction. 

Other Members raised queries with regards to the location of the land and this was clarified by Councillor Mangion and the Principal Licensing Officer. 

Following which, the officer’s recommendation was proposed and seconded for approval. 

The programmed date for the next Meeting of this Committee will be 13 March 2023.

The date of the next Meeting was confirmed as 13 March 2023.

That under Section 100(A) (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that, if they were present, there could be disclosed exempt information as defined at paragraphs 1, 2 and 7 of Part 1 of the Schedule 12A of the Act (as Amended).

It was proposed and seconded that the public and press be excluded from the meeting.

RESOLVED

That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that, if they were present, there could be disclosed exempt information as defined at paragraphs 1, 2 and 7 of Part 1 of the Schedule 12A of the Act (as Amended).

Report to follow.

N.B. Appendix is exempt.

Members noted that the Authority had adopted a rapid response procedure which enabled the urgent review of hackney carriage / private hire driver licences where information was received of a serious nature that may affect public safety.  The procedure required that a summary of each decision, made under the rapid response procedure, should be reported to the next available meeting of the Council’s General Licensing Committee. This report (and its Confidential Appendix A) provided that summary of a recent decision taken under the procedure.

Members were referred to the information contained within the report on pages 13 to 14, together with the summary at Confidential Appendix A, pages 19 to 20 of the Agenda refer.

Following which, it was

RESOLVED:

That the confidential summary set out at the Confidential Appendix A of the report be noted.

Exempt Report to follow.

An open report was submitted by the Principal Licensing Officer, and in line with the requirements of the Department for Transport Minimum Licensing Standards, the Committee was requested to undertake a review of the hackney carriage and private hire vehicle driver licences.

RESOLVED

That the hackney carriage and private hire vehicle driver licences be renewed as set out in the restricted minute.