To confirm the Minutes of the meetings of Licensing Applications Sub-Committee 2 held on 26 November 2020 and 1 December 2020 as correct records.

The Minutes of the meetings of Licensing Applications Sub-Committee 2 held 26 November 2020 and 1 December 2020 were confirmed as a correct record.

To consider an application for the review of a Premises Licence in respect of Willis and Short Convenience Stores, 341 Oxford Road, Reading, RG30 1AY.

The Head of Planning, Development and Regulatory Services submitted a report on an application made by Thames Valley Police on 9 November 2020 for the review of a Premises Licence in respect of Willis and Short Newsagent, 341 Oxford Road, Reading.

The review had been requested due to concerns that Mr Patel, the Premises Licence Holder, was failing to uphold the licensing objectives in operating his business premises. This included a failing in a test purchase involving a child in April 2019 where four cans of Red Stripe lager were sold to a child. 

A copy of the review application form and appendices were attached to the report at Appendix LIC-1.

During the 28-day consultation period for the application, representations had been received from Reading Borough Council, which were attached to the report at Appendix LIC-2.

A copy of the current Premises Licence was attached at Appendix LIC-3, which authorised the following licensable activities:

Sale of Alcohol by Retail (Off the Premises)

Monday - Saturday             from 0530 hours until 2300 hours

Sunday                              from 0900 hours until 2300 hours

Hours open to the Public

Monday to Saturday from 0530 hrs until 2300 hrs

Sunday 0600hrs until 2300 hrs

Thames Valley Police recommended that the conditions of the premise licence be modified to include additional conditions that would aid the Premises Licence Holder in the promotion of the licensing objectives. Thames Valley Police, Reading Borough Council’s Licensing Team and Mr Donne, of Silver Fox Licensing Consultants, on behalf of the Premises Licence Holder, had had positive discussions with each other since the review. A test purchase for alcohol by a child in November 2020 had been passed and the log of refusals of alcohol contained in the refusals book had been entered correctly. 

On Friday 18 December 2020 a series of conditions had been agreed between parties, which would meet with the concerns raised by Thames Valley Police.

Reading Borough Council’s Licensing Team also suggested a condition regarding secure screen shuttering to cover all alcohol while the premises was open to the public. This proposal was not agreed by Mr Donne on behalf of the Premises Licence Holder. Mr Donne invited the Sub-Committee to consider extending the licensable hours to the opening hours as a way of resolving the secure screen shuttering.

The Sub-Committee received oral representations at the meeting from the following parties:

·       Simon Wheeler, Thames Valley Police

·       William Donne, Silver Fox Licensing Consultants, on behalf of Mr Vipul Patel, the Premises Licence Holder

·       Peter Narancic, Senior Licensing and Enforcement Officer

Mr Patel was also present at the meeting.

The Sub-Committee considered the written and oral representations made. It had regard to all relevant sections of the Secretary of State’s Guidance (April 2018), Reading Borough Council’s Statement of Licensing Policy (2018) and case law, as stated in the report.  In addition, the Sub-Committee kept in mind the four licensing objectives, which were as follows:

·      The prevention of crime and disorder

·      Public safety

·      The prevention of public nuisance

·      The protection of children  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.