Rachael Hind (Licensing Service Manager) and David Moore (Devon and Cornwall Police) delivered the ‘Licensing Activity Report’ to the Committee, and highlighted the following points-

a)     This annual report was brought before the Committee to provide an update on the work undertaken by the licensing team and agencies involved in regulating licensable activities.

b)    There had been 2149 licensing applications received in 2021/2022, an increase of 61% compared to 2020/2021, largely due to the lifting of Vovid-19 restrictions. 8 of these applications had been referred to the licensing sub-committee.

c)     There had been 172 formal noise complaints made against licensed premises during the years 2021/2022, remaining high, however the majority of these did not require formal action due to negotiation between affected parties and the licensing team.

d)    145 licensing inspections had been carried out during this period. While Trading Standards and Environmental Health work had been scaled back over the pandemic, these inspections were now being resumed.

e)     Full inspections had been conducted of licensed gambling premises, as required by the Gambling Act 2005.

f)      The responsible authorities had met on a regular basis to discuss ongoing work surrounding the enforcement of ‘problem premises’, as well as measures to improve the regulation and safety of the Evening and Night Time Economy (ENTE).

In response to questions from the Committee, it was reported that-

g)     The licensing team would conduct a review into the ‘Private Shop’, Plymouth’s only licensed ‘sex shop’, following its recent changes and reopening. Following this, the Committee would be provided with an update.

h)    The Committee raised concerns regarding the potential dimming of street-lighting and the safety implications for the public leaving premises in the dark. The Chair agreed to consult with the relevant cabinet member to address these concerns.

i)      The Committee praised the success of the licensing team and responsible authorities for acting proactively and contributing to the safety of the Evening and Night Time Economy through measures such as the Plymouth ‘Safe Bus’, ‘Best Bar None’ scheme, and ‘Ask for Angela’ scheme. This had been the culmination of years of hard work by all parties.

j)      There were significant concerns regarding the financial sustainability of the Plymouth ‘Safe Bus’, with public uptake remaining relatively low. This had been widely advertised in the Herald, University campuses, and on social media. The Committee and responsible authorities highly encouraged the public to make use of this valuable service.

k)     While these bus routes had been designed to provide the largest possible city coverage, particularly covering high density population areas, it was recognised that patrons would still have to walk the final distance from drop off, to home. There were however, no designated stops, with patrons able to request to get off at any point along the route, and security officers were present with body-worn cameras for safety. Statistics of usage and drop-off locations were being compiled to enable enhanced targeting for future route planning.

l)      Since its successful trial in Plymouth in 2019, the ‘Anti Drink-Spiking’ campaign had been expanded force-wide, providing training and greater awareness to staff at drinking venues surrounding spiking prevention, recognition and resolution. Ongoing work was being conducted to raise the awareness of drink-spiking, and the number of incidents reported had dramatically reduced this year.

m)   Following the Motion on Notice raised at Full Council on 21 November 2022, Devon and Cornwall Police had proactively worked to increase the police presence and security camera coverage of reported ‘unsafe areas’ within the city. Additional resources had been used to enhance CCTV coverage, and plans were in place to provide ‘plain clothed’ officers on the periphery of the City Centre.

n)    Opportunities were still available for Committee members to join Devon and Cornwall police during their patrols of the Evening and Night Time Economy, to gain an inside experience of the work undertaken.

o)    Devon and Cornwall Police continued to provide communication and conflict management training for free, to organisations operating in the Evening and Night Time Economy.

The Committee praised the ongoing work of the Licensing team, Devon & Cornwall Police, and responsible authorities. The Committee agreed to note the report.