Agenda and draft minutes

Councillor Mercy Umeh proposed Councillor Callum Nimmo. This was seconded by Councillor Asif Siddique and agreed by the Committee.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Bora Kwon,

Trey Campbell-Simon, Paul Alexander, Aliya Afzal-Khan, and Jose Afonso.

If a Councillor has a disclosable pecuniary interest in a particular item, whether or not it is entered in the Authority’s register of interests, or any other significant interest which they consider should be declared in the public interest, they should declare the existence and, unless it is a sensitive interest as defined in the Member Code of Conduct, the nature of the interest at the commencement of the consideration of that item or as soon as it becomes apparent.

At meetings where members of the public are allowed to be in attendance and speak, any Councillor with a disclosable pecuniary interest or other significant interest may also make representations, give evidence or answer questions about the matter. The Councillor must then withdraw immediately from the meeting before the matter is discussed and any vote taken.

Where Members of the public are not allowed to be in attendance and speak, then the Councillor with a disclosable pecuniary interest should withdraw from the meeting whilst the matter is under consideration. Councillors who have declared other significant interests should also withdraw from the meeting if they consider their continued participation in the matter would not be reasonable in the circumstances and may give rise to a perception of a conflict of interest.

Councillors are not obliged to withdraw from the meeting where a dispensation to that effect has been obtained from the Standards Committee.

To approve the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 30 September 2024 as an accurate record.

This item includes an appendix which contains information exempt within the meaning of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 and is not for publication. The appendix has been circulated to the Committee members only. Any discussion on the contents of an exempt appendix will require the Committee to pass the proposed resolution at the end of the agenda to exclude members of the public and press from the proceedings for that discussion.

The OPEN minutes of the meeting held on 30 September 2024 were agreed as an accurate record.

This item includes appendices which contain information exempt within the meaning of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 and is not for publication. The appendices have been circulated to the Committee members only. Any discussion on the contents of an exempt appendix will require the Committee to pass the proposed resolution at the end of the agenda to exclude members of the public and press from the proceedings for that discussion.

Adrian Overton, Licensing Policy & Enforcement Manager, introduced the members of the Licensing Team to the Committee.

He explained the presentation would cover a range of topics, including: Staffing Update, Licensing Team performance and work activity in 2024/25 and financial update on income and debt. Further topics included 2024 - 2025 Licensing Sub-Committees and an enforcement update for 2024/25.

Adrian Overton provided an overview of the Licensing Activities which the Department oversaw and then highlighted staffing changes.

Staffing Update

The following staff changes were noted:

a)    Cristina Perez-Trillo was currently on maternity leave for a year. Matt Tucker was currently filling this role

b)    Lorna Mckenna was also on maternity leave for a year - Fabien Simms was covering her responsibilities

c)     Recruitment for a second Licensing Enforcement Officer was currently underway

d)    Recruitment was also underway for replacement compliance assistant as Abdul Ullah recently moved to Private Sector Housing

The Team’s Performance and the Licensing Act in 2024/25

Adrian Overton drew the Committee’s attention to some of the key statistics in relation to the work from the previous year. Key points included:

•       Overall, in 2024/25, the service dealt with a total of 1269 applications/notifications under the Licensing Act 2003 compared to 1474 in 2023/24. This was an increase of 6% from the previous year.

•       New premises licenses and full variations were similar to last year with 69 new applications.

•       In 2024/25 the service received 12 applications for provisional statements, compared to 18 in 2023/24. It should be noted that all of these applications were attributed to the redevelopment work at Olympia Exhibition Centre.  

•       A decrease in personal licenses, transfers and minor variations.

•       A decrease in DPS variations, change of details.

•       In 2024/25 there was a decrease in Temporary Event Notices (TENs) submitted compared to the previous year.

Licensing Sub-Committee Hearings in 2024/25

Adrian Overton provided an overview on the number of hearings in 2024/25. The following points were noted:

•       There has been a 15% decrease in hearings compared to 2023/24.

•       There were 3 reviews heard in 2024/25 compared to 1 in 2023/24

•       All the applications bar one was heard under the Licensing Act 2003, with one review and one sexual entertainment venue license being heard.

•       These figures do not include applications that the Licensing Team mediate on, which therefore no longer require a hearing.

Financial Update on Income and Debt

In terms of the Financial Management for the period, Adrian Overton, Licensing Team Manager explained that the total Income generated from licensing activities during 2024/25 totalled £337,875.

It was noted that 20 applications for the redevelopment of Olympia led to a higher figure for application fees in 2023/24. Annual fees have reduced due to a number of premises surrendering their licences in 24/25.

Adrian Overton explained that application fees under the Licensing Act are set by statute and cannot be amended by local authorities. And as of 31 March 2025, total overdue licensing debt was £20,895 compared to £16,000 at  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Valerie Simpson, Assistant Director Environmental Health and Regulatory Services provided a report which provided the details and rationale for having a new H&F Markets & Street Trading Licensing Policy. This also provided an update to the prescribed standard conditions and the list of commodities. The presentation covered the following points:

• Key Functions and the remit of the Markets and Street Trading Team.
• The Council’s five priorities and aspirations:

1. Attracting and retaining new traders.
2. Addressing the economic challenges of the market.
3. Demonstrating the wider value of markets.
4. Professionalising Market management.
5. Improving relationships with Traders.

The key benefits for adopting a Markets and Street Trading Licensing Policy.

• Key updates to the standard conditions for Street Trading Licenses.
• Details on the revised commodities list.
• Information on the following:

1. Shop front licences.
2. The declaration of Market Rights.
3. Designating the whole borough for regulated street trading activities
4. Details on the Market and Street Trading consultation proposals and the revised timetable for formal adoption.
5. Details on the Enforcement Policy and speaking to Traders.

Questions?

Councillor Wesley Harcourt enquired whether the responsibility for licensing pavements and shop fronts, particularly in light of the increasing prevalence of café culture, lay with the Markets Team or the Licensing Team.

In response, Valerie Simpson, Assistant Director for Environmental Health and Regulatory Services, clarified that following the COVID-19 pandemic, pavement licences had been introduced and were now managed under Highways. She explained that Highways were responsible for setting operational hours and other related conditions. Valerie Simpson confirmed that Highways did consult with relevant internal departments, particularly in relation to issues such as noise nuisance. However, she acknowledged that there was a significant overlap between the functions of Highways and Markets, and suggested that this could be explored further.

Regarding ice cream vans, Councillor Wesley Harcourt asked whether the Council had a policy prohibiting the use of diesel or petrol-powered vehicles, advocating instead for electric alternatives. Valerie Simpson responded that she was uncertain whether this was explicitly stated in the policy, but confirmed that there were regulations in place prohibiting engine idling. She undertook to review the policy, noting that similar environmental concerns applied to the use of power generators at market sites. She added that while North End Road was equipped with electricity points, other market locations were not, resulting in the use of generators, and queried whether this issue was being addressed within the policy framework.

Councillor Wesley Harcourt emphasised the Council’s commitment to becoming a green borough and improving air quality, and expressed the view that such environmental considerations should be incorporated into relevant policies.

Turning to the use of single-use plastics at temporary events and market stalls, Councillor Wesley Harcourt asked whether Council contracts permitted their use. In response, Valerie Simpson confirmed that the Council prohibited single-use plastics and actively enforced this condition. She explained that the Markets Team worked collaboratively with other departments, including Food Safety and Trading Standards, and had undertaken a dedicated project in the previous year to ensure compliance and follow-up with traders.

In  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Local Government Act 1972 – Access To Information Proposed resolution:

Local Government Act 1972 – Access To Information Proposed resolution: Under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, that the public and press be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following items of business, on the grounds that they contain the likely disclosure of exempt information, as defined in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the said Act, as it contains information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information

The sub-committee agreed, under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, that the public and press be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following items of business, on the grounds that they contain the likely disclosure of exempt information, as defined in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the said Act, as it contains information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).