Sutton Council is reviewing the procedure used by its Licensing Sub-Committee for hearings under the Licensing Act 2003, aiming for efficiency, fairness, and transparency. The review, detailed in the meeting's Agenda Frontsheet, considers how the committee manages its business, including the handling of licensing applications and representations.
The procedure note explains how licensing applications are dealt with, either by a Licensing Sub-Committee or by licensing officers within the delegations of the Licensing Committee. It also details how representations are handled, including the process for submitting them, the criteria for their validity, and the actions taken when representations are received. The Licensing Sub-Committee must disregard any information given or evidence produced by a party or witness which is not relevant to the application, representations or notice, or not promoting the licensing objectives.
The Licensing Sub-Committee met on 7 July 2025, with Councillors Wendy Clark, Trish Fivey (Chair: Licensing Committee), and Cumar Sahathevan (Deputy Mayor, Vice Chair: Licensing Committee) scheduled to review the hearings procedure.
The procedure also covers notices to be served by parties to the hearing, extensions of time limits, dispensing with hearings, petitions, and other relevant information. It also specifies the requirements for committee members, including training and declaring any interests. Members must have received training within the 12 months prior to a new Licensing Committee being formed after a Local election. They also need training on becoming a new member following an in year change of the membership of the Licensing Committee or on rejoining the Licensing Committee following a significant period of absence (12 months).
The document outlines the organisation of hearings, including the order of business, the organisation of the room (if in-person), and the hearing procedure itself. It details the roles of the chair, officers, applicant, responsible authority, and other persons, as well as the process for questions, closing statements, making decisions, and reporting the decision. The procedure also addresses failure to attend, making the decision, notification of the decision, right to appeal, and minutes of the meeting.
The Public Reports Pack provided to the attendees included information on the hearings procedure.
The Licensing Sub-Committee aims to manage its business in an efficient, fair, and transparent way, as stated in the Licensing Hearing Procedures document.
