Consultation on Review of Statement Of Licensing Policy 2013-2016

In terms of Section 6 of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, the Licensing Board of Dundee City Council is obliged to review its Statement of Licensing Policy by the end of 2013.
The Board has already reviewed its policy on licensing hours for each premises in the city. At its meeting on 19th September 2013, it decided that premises which operate as traditional “public houses” or bars will be allowed to open until 0100 Friday/Saturday, premises with “substantial entertainment” (which shall not include karaoke or recorded music) can open until 0200 Friday/Saturday, and purpose-built nightclubs and other dedicated entertainment premises are allowed to open until 0300 Friday/Saturday.
 
Insofar as the remainder of the Board’s policy statement is concerned, the Board is pleased to receive any comments on the contents thereof. The statement can be found on the licensing pages of the Dundee City Council website or a copy can be inspected at the Licensing Office at 18 City Square, Dundee. In particular, the Board would welcome comments on the following,
 

• are there any areas of the city which may be overprovided with licensed premises (either generally or of a specific type, e.g., off-sales) and, if so, which areas are these?
• in light of the Board’s new policy on licensing hours set out above, should the Board continue with its current policy of allowing an additional hour over and above these closing times at trade holidays, Christmas, etc.?

A report summarising responses to this consultation will be submitted to the Board at its meeting on 14th November 2013. The consultation period runs until Thursday 31st October 2013. Responses can be sent to the Clerk to the Licensing Board, 21 City Square, Dundee DD1 3BY or by e-mail to licensing.board@dundeecity.go.uk
 

Report to the October Meeting of the Broughty Ferry Community Council

Changes to Licensing Hours 
As fellow Community Councillors know, I have encouraged the Community Council to respond to the parallel consultations held over the summer into proposals to extend licensing hours for the sale of alcohol in pubs and clubs and the sale of takeaway food.

On Monday 16 September the Licensing Board (I am not a member of the Licensing Board) approved longer and later weekend licensing hours for the ‘on’ sales of alcohol. In the Licensing Committee (of which I am a member) later that morning, the Committee agreed to revised opening hours for hot food takeaways in the City Centre. This committee agreed however to defer a decision on opening hours outside the city centre. This will be reconsidered at the Licensing Committee on Thursday 3 October. Under the Councillor’s Code of Conduct, I will not be making up my mind about how to respond to this issue until I have heard and read all the evidence submitted at the Licensing Committee meeting.

Road Safety at Barnhill Primary School
Following the long term absence of the Barnhill PS Crossing Patroller who is stationed at the junction of Falkland Crescent with Balgillo Road parents were concerned to find that there was no cover from the Council nor Police Scotland. This also applied to year long lack of a Patroller at the junction of Wyvis Road and Balgillo Road. Council officers have agreed to priorititise two appointments for Barnhill following the recent selection interviews. The Director of Transportation is also investigating putting up Slow Children crossing signs on Balgillo Road because to the speed of the traffic.

Eastern Primary School Parking & Pupil Safety Issues
I followed up the issues raised at the last meeting by Vice Chair, Stan Nutt, about parking and pupil safety issues around Eastern Primary School in the vicinity of the main entance to the school and shared vehicular access driveway to Stan and his neigbours’ homes. The Head Teacher is having a meeting with Neil Gellatly to try to resolve some of these related issues. One of the practical issues affecting the management of the school is the necessity for the head teacher to attend meetings in other locations in the city and yet currently does not have a reserved place close to the school when she returns.

Scottish Water – Replacement Sewer Junction
The replacement of the leaking concrete sewer junction partly buried under the beach was nudged forward by the City Development Committee. At out meeting ten days ago the Council approved Scottish Water’s application to dig up the sea bed at the location close to Douglas Terrace.

Advertising in a Conservation Area
As a supplement to the updating the Conservation Area Plan for central Broughty Ferry (and other Conservation areas), the planning department are developing a policy which would provide a greater measure of control over advertising on buildings in the Conservation Area.

Bins
Following my request, on behalf of the Ferryfields Residents Association, additional dog poo bins have been installed in and around the Ferryfields estate.

The Environment Department have agreed to provide a larger capacity rubbish bin on Grassy Beach close to the Royal Tay Yacht Club premises as the current smaller bin is often overflowing.

Vandalism in Barnhill and Brook Street
After a relatively quieter time on the vandalism front, it would appear that there is another spate of such incidents following a series of graffiti tags in Barnhill late last Thursday night and in the early hours of Friday morning.

On Monday of this week, I reported the vandalised cycle rack outside Greggs on Brook Street. When I reported this to the Police, I asked that they refer to recorded CCTV footage to try to identify the culprits over the weekend. Council Officers I contacted have confirmed they will arrange for the removal of the broken cycle rack and then subsequently a replacement that matches the remainder of the street furniture. 

Broughty Ferry Community Council meets on the first Tuesday of every month (excluding August) in the Community Library, Queen Street, Broughty Ferry Dundee DD5 2HN. Community Council meetings begin at 7pm and are open to the public.

Proposed Longer Opening Hours for Night Clubs, Licensed Premises with Substantial Entertainment and Pubs

The Licensing Board of the City Council are inviting public responses to their consultation about proposed later closing times for clubs and pubs in Dundee.

In brief they are proposing  to introduce three categories of licensed premises, each with different entitlements as far as opening hours are concerned. This would involve formally recognising the category of "licensed premises with substantial entertainment" and allow extensions until 2.30 am on Fridays and Saturdays. In order to maintain a distinction between these premises and dedicated nightclub/discotheque premises, it is suggested that the latter be allowed to open until 4.00 am on the same two nights of the week. As far as other licensed premises are concerned (what were public houses under the 1976 Act), the suggestion is that these be allowed to open until 1.00 am, on Fridays/Saturdays. Premises providing restaurant facilities would not be affected and would still be permitted to open beyond midnight with the approval of the Board as under the current policy.

While members of the public and the licensed trade can respond to the idea of the three categories of licensed premises and their proposed later opening hours, there are a number of questions that are not directly posed in the consultation. Firstly, do we think that the later opening hours should apply in each and every location in the city or should we distinguish between the city centre and other parts of Dundee.

Secondly, what are the costs from these proposed changes? For example, what will be the additional cost of policing later opening hours? I know that the night time economy already commandeers a significant chunk of the policing budget. I think many folk who would prefer to see more police officers on the beat in their neighbourhood, rather than focusing on curbing rowdy behaviour in the city centre.

I know many residents live close to existing licensed premises in central Broughty Ferry. I hope that they take this opportunity to respond to the Council's consultation because these proposed changes could have a significant and lasting effect on life in The Ferry.
Closing date for responses Wednesday 31 July 2013

Click on this link for details of where to send you views on this consultation.

Call for More Integrated Consultation and Policy Development for Late Night Opening of Clubs, Pubs and Takeaways

On Thursday I wrote to Councillor David Bowes, Convener of the Licensing Board, and Councillor Stewart Hunter, the Convener of the Licensing Committee about my concerns about the disconnected public consultations about proposed changes to the licensing hours of pubs, bars and take away food establishments.
"Dear David and Stewart,
I am writing to you in your respective capacities as Convener of the Licensing Board and Convener of the Licensing Committee. As you will be aware both committees are undertaking consultations about Licensing hours. The consultation on potential extension of hours for licensed clubs and pubs has already been put out for consultation. In the covering note to that consultation, we are informed that:
'It is intended to report back to the Board at its meeting on Thursday, 22nd August 2013 and, if any of the above proposals are to be adopted, these would be incorporated in a supplementary statement to the existing licensing policy. The Board would welcome your views on the above proposals and these can be submitted to me in writing by letter to the above address or, alternative, by email to licensing.board@dundeecity.gov.uk by no later than Wednesday, 31st July 2013.'

At the Licensing Committee on Thursday 27 June, the Committee agreed to conduct a parallel consultation about licensing hours for take away food establishments. It seems unlikely that that survey can be reported until the September meeting of the Licensing Committee as understandably it is yet to be issued. At our June meeting of the Licensing Committee I asked, and it was agreed, that the eight Local Community Planning Partnerships as well as Community Councils and other local representative bodies could also be included in that consultation.

Given the obvious overlap between both consultations, I think it would be mistaken to consider them separately. In fact there is a danger that if the Licensing Board meet and make policy decisions on extending licensing hours for pubs and night clubs at their August meeting that this might then pre-empt the policy decisions of the Licensing Committee in September about opening hours for takeaways.

I suggest that we invite the Licensing staff to prepare a consolidated report on all both consultations and then provide a single report with the respective recommendations to both committees meeting in September. I understand in the early 1990s such a procedure was used and the Licensing Board met one day and the Licensing Committee met the next day.

Postponing the reporting to the Licensing Board on their policy consultation from August to September would also allow time to refer the Licensing Board consultation to the cycle of meeting of our Local Community Planning Partnerships in August.

Hopefully, this sure ensure that we have an opportunity to create and adopt an integrated set of licensing policies that work for the public and licensees."
End of letter.

I think we need a good public debate about these proposed changes to licensing hours and the consultation should not be rushed. I believe that my suggestions would not only provide an opportunity for the results of the two consultations to be brought together but also provide more time for the public to be involved.

I know many residents live close to licensed premises in central Broughty Ferry. I hope that they take this opportunity to respond to the Council's consultations about potential extended hours opening for pubs, clubs and takeaways because these proposed changes could have a significant effect on life in The Ferry.