Councillor Haydon (Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Libraries, Cemeteries and Crematoria) introduced the report and highlighted the following points:

a)    It was a statutory requirement to review the licensing policy every five years;

b)    Amendments that had been made since the COVID-19 outbreak included premises offering alcohol delivery services;

c)    In light of Martin’s Law, all public venues would be held responsible for certain locations in the event of threat and terrorism and would implement appropriate measures if necessary;

Graham Hooper (Senior Officer for Intelligence and Licensing) added:

d)    Support for the Community Alcohol Partnership had been inserted into the policy, which would show the industry’s commitment to responsible drinking.

Cabinet agreed to recommend to City Council:

1.   That the draft Licensing Statement of the Policy (contained in Appendix A) was adopted with effect from 31 March 2024.

Councillor Coker returned to the meeting at 2.57 pm.