Planning Committee (Wirral Council) 26th September 2013 APP/13/00676: Ring O Bells Hotel, Village Road, West Kirby, CH48 7HE – New external children’s play equipment

Planning Committee (Wirral Council) 26th September 2013 APP/13/00676: Ring O Bells Hotel, Village Road, West Kirby, CH48 7HE – New external children’s play equipment

Please accept YouTube cookies to play this video. By accepting you will be accessing content from YouTube, a service provided by an external third party.

YouTube privacy policy

If you accept this notice, your choice will be saved and the page will refresh.

Please accept YouTube cookies to play this video. By accepting you will be accessing content from YouTube, a service provided by an external third party.

YouTube privacy policy

If you accept this notice, your choice will be saved and the page will refresh.

Planning Committee (Wirral Council) 26th September 2013 APP/13/00676: Ring O Bells Hotel, Village Road, West Kirby, CH48 7HE – New external children’s play equipment

                           

Continues from Planning Committee (Wirral Council) 26th September 2013 OUT/13/00551: Unused Land, Valley Road, Bidston – Outline application for the construction of indoor skate park with associated facilities including offices, cafe, flexible learning spaces, business support for young entrepreneurs and car parking. The video footage for this item starts here and continues here.

The Chair asked an officer to introduce this item. A Wirral Council officer said it was a proposal for play equipment at the Ring O’Bells pub in the West Kirby Conservation Area. The officer’s view was that the introduction of play equipment didn’t impact negatively on the Conservation Area. In their view there would be no increase in noise or disturbance.

Cllr Geoffrey Watt, ward councillor for West Kirby and Thurstaston ward relayed to the Planning Committee the serious concerns of the nearest residents about the proposal. In his view the concerns raised were not planning reasons but licensing reasons. He referred to an action in the Magistrate’s Court, over ten years ago that had found in favour of the objectors. Since then some residents had watched with apprehension at any extended use. The resident’s concerns were about noise and a bouncy castle that had been there at the Bank Holiday weekend.

Cllr David Elderton said he went there for the odd lunch, but felt that the residents concerns about what would result were overstated and wouldn’t happen as a result of children’s play equipment. He said he would support the application.

Cllr Denise Realey pointed out the large distances between the Ring O Bells and the nearest resident. Cllr David Elderton asked about the boundary treatment. The officer said there would be two metre high fencing.

Cllr Denise Realey proposed approval of the application, seconded by Cllr Joe Walsh. All councillors voted in favour of the application.

Continues at Planning Committee (Wirral Council) 26th September 2013 APP/13/00827: Mapleholme, 101 Beckwith Street, Birkenhead, CH41 3JP – Demolition of the two existing vacant buildings on the site and the development of 16 two-bedroom 2 storey houses and 2 two-bedroom bungalows with associated private garden space and car parking (18 Dwellings in total – amended description).

If you click on any of these buttons below, you’ll be doing me a favour by sharing this article with other people. Thanks:

Merseyside Police ask Wirral Council for extra powers for Birkenhead booze crackdown

Merseyside Police ask Wirral Council for extra powers for Birkenhead booze crackdown

Hogarth's Gin Lane

Hogarth’s “Gin Lane”

Merseyside Police ask Wirral Council for extra powers for Birkenhead booze crackdown

                        

Merseyside Police will next week be asking Wirral Council’s Licensing, Health and Safety and General Purposes Committee to start a four-week consultation on designating all of Birkenhead as an area where the police can confiscate alcohol from people in public places. The police state that their request is due to 128 incidents of alcohol related antisocial behaviour between January and July of this year, twelve of which also involved violence.

There are already two areas of Birkenhead which are already alcohol free zones. The first includes the Pyramids, Birkenhead bus station, Woodside bus station and Hamilton Square. The second area is the electoral ward of Prenton.

If Wirral Council designates all of Birkenhead as a “Designated Public Places Order” then the police will have extra powers in public places to stop people drinking and confiscate their alcohol. If the person refused by either failing to stop drinking or handing over their alcohol they could be fined up to £500. Licensed premises or clubs and the land are not classed as public places for these purposes.

Merseyside Police say they have the support of police officers, police community support officers, local businesses and local residents in calling for this. If you consume Ambien frequently, its effect is reduced and it becomes less efficient. I take it rarely, only when I can’t fall asleep for an hour or two. In the morning, you feel a little bit sleepy after the use of the drug. It is sold by prescription at https://mi-aimh.org/generic-ambien-zolpidem/. There is a petition signed by four hundred and twenty-six people asking for this larger alcohol free zone. The report to the meeting and maps of the proposed and existing alcohol free zones has been published on Wirral Council’s website.

If you click on any of these buttons below, you’ll be doing me a favour by sharing this article with other people. Thanks:

Licensing Act 2003 Sub-Committee 25/7/2012 Decision to Transfer Premises Licence for North Star, Laird Street to Mr. Fox refused

The papers for this meeting are here.

The meeting started ten minutes late and in a different room to the advertised Committee Room 4. Cllrs present on the panel were Cllr John Salter (Labour), Cllr Steve Niblock (Labour) and Cllr Cherry Povall (Conservative). Officers of Wirral Council were David Abraham (Legal Adviser), Anne Beauchamp (Committee Clerk) and Margaret O’Donnell (Licensing Manager). Representing Merseyside Police was Sgt Jenkins. Colin Fox (the proposed Designated Premises Supervisor) was represented by Samantha Brown/Ford of Napthens Solicitors.

When everybody came back, the Chair apologised for confusing Fox and Ford.

The decision was as follows:

We have given careful consideration to the application made by Mr. Fox for the transfer of a Premises Licence in respect of the North Star, 294 Laird Street, Birkenhead. We have listened carefully to the representations by Mr. Fox and Mrs. Ford, his legal representative. We have considered the representations made in writing and orally by Sergeant Jenkins of the Merseyside Police.

In determining the application we have regards to the prevention of crime and disorder objective, the Council’s Statement of Licensing Policy and the relevant guidance issued under s.182 of the Licensing Act 2003, in particular paragraph 8.99.

We’ve heard evidence from Merseyside Police, that they have serious concerns that the transfer of the Premises Licence to Mr. Fox would undermine the crime prevention objective. Merseyside Police gave evidence that when the premises was subject to a closure notice, it operated in a breach of that condition of the licence and an alleged serious sexual assault took place at the premises which is currently being investigated by Merseyside Police.

After these incidents have taken place, since Mr. Fox has been involved with the premises. We were not satisfied that the applicant Mr. Fox, as a holder of the Premises Licence …
2:01
to uphold the licensing objectives. We are not satisfied with the applicant’s responses, when he was asked to demonstrate what his responsibilities were and how the licensing objectives would be upheld by him, should the transfer of the Premises Licence be granted.

We also note that the applicant did not intend to take an active role in the running of the premises, that the lease…
his name..

Furthermore…
transfer the licence to a future

Designated Premises Supervisor.

2:47
In light of the above, we have considered it necessary to refuse the application by Mr. Fox, to transfer the Premises Licence in respect of the North Star, 294 Laird Street, Birkenhead. Thank you.

Licensing, General Purposes and Health & Safety Committee 23/5/2012

The Chair started by thanking the last committee, who had a meeting not finish until 10.45pm one night. He asked councillors to identify themselves and pointed out that Cllr George Davies was a deputy.

No interests were declared and the minutes of the meeting on the 19th March 2012 were agreed.

Cllr Steve Niblock was proposed as Vice-Chair. This was the only nomination and agreed.

Ken Abraham introduced the report and said that the monthly licensing panel dealt mainly with hackney taxi licences involving conduct, criminal records and that this year the ratio would be 4:2:1.

The Chair pointed out that it was important to realise it was a day meeting, therefore unsuitable for those with a full-time job or family commitments. He asked people to submit their names to the committee clerk before the end of the week. He asked about training for the panel?

Margaret said she had some booklets.

Cllr George Davies asked if they were still going to Tranmere Rovers to check on safety? He said the reason he raised it was because of last year’s disruption involving the roof. However there had been no visit for the last three years.

Ken Abraham said that in the past a decision had been reached that technical services would attend and the report went to a virtual committee, but he didn’t think this had happened for a number of years.

Cllr George Davies pointed out that in Liverpool, their committee made visits to their football grounds. Ken Abraham said he would speak to Paul Grey.

Cllr Davies said that when [Tranmere Rovers] was built the capacity was 16,000, but now it was restricted it can’t be more than 10,000 as people can’t go in the main stand. He asked if there was a disaster where do they stand?

Cllr Fraser asked what would happen after an inspection?

Ken Abraham said checks were made by the fire service, police, building control and others.

The Chair requested a report for the next meeting, but that they report back before the football season starts. He suggested a special meeting and visit and said he wanted a briefing.

Margaret said her expertise was limited to licensing training, however the remit of the committee was much wider.

Cllr George Davies asked for an annual report [on Tranmere Rovers].

The Chair said if there was an urgent issue they could arrange a special meeting, but if they needed training they could use Jo March.

Margaret O’Donnell introduced the next report on taxi driver training and its appendix.

Cllr Fraser asked if the required qualifications were a legal requirement or just Wirral policy?

Margaret O’Donnell answered yes after the decision in March, all drivers had obtained the qualifications apart from two, who were not driving. However there were issues about funding of courses.

Cllr Fraser asked how much the courses were and whether those on them had to pay.

The answer given was between £1000 and £1800, the driver was asked to contribute £150, however some categories such as the unemployed were guaranteed funding.

Cllr Fraser asked how taxi drivers were consulted? The Chair said that the union reps usually turned up to meetings, but information was sent to all taxi drivers.

Margaret O’Donnell said that as it was a national consultation, they had emailed a link to the consultation website.

The Chair said they had wanted to outlaw bogus drivers and that the trade had realised there were too many drivers and not enough work. The Vice-Chair said there had been a conscious decision to ensure public safety and that thanks to officers they had come a long way.

The Chair asked for deputies to take part in training too and that the panel would meet the second Friday of every month.

Licensing Act 2003 Committee (Wirral Council) 23/5/2012 Part 2

This continues from Part 1.

Cllr George Davies mentioned that at a community safety meeting, the Area Commander had pointed out that with the football and Olympics over the Summer that alcohol would be more of an issue this year. The councillor said that he’d said that if a minimum tariff of 40p/unit was brought in that this would help.

Margaret said this had already been through the Committee, but the government were likely to announce a change on minimum pricing.

Cllr Mitchell asked that if the legislation changed, were they trapped? Could they continue with the existing policy even if the law had changed?

Margaret O’Donnell said that some parts might need amendments, but the guidance was quite general, so any changes would be brought forward as part of the review. She also pointed out that they had to consult for three months before any amendments were made.

Cllr Hodson asked about no drinking zones. Margaret O’Donnell said that they were looking at enforcement over the Jubilee double bank holiday, which meant existing licences to 11pm were extended to 1am with the same for entertainment on the Friday and Saturday.

Margaret O’Donnell continued with her presentation, detailing who the new responsible authorities would be. In future this would cover the licensing authority, PCT (or local health board), fire service, planning and the existing responsible authorities.

The interested parties test would also be changed from having to live near to the licensed premises to living or being involved with a business in the licensing authority area. She said it was a significant change to the relevant representations, but a licensing officers would look at representations to decide whether they were relevant or vexatious and frivolous. She referred to a case involving Thwaites, where the decision of the licensing subcommittee had been overturned by the Magistrates Court but upheld by the High Court.

The Chair pointed out that licensing meetings were generally held on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. They did have the staff to do Monday to Friday if they needed the flexibility.

Margaret O’Donnell pointed that it was essential that the reasons for their decisions were recorded as they could be legally challenged. They couldn’t just refuse a licence without reasons. There was also reform to the amount of notice required for temporary event notices.

There was also changes to the penalty for persistently selling alcohol to children (which was defined as two within three months) from £10000 to £20000, voluntary closure had been extended from two days to two weeks and licences would be suspended for late payments.

She continued by pointing out at the discretion of the licensing authority they could levy a late night levy to cover the additional cost beyond midnight of crime and disorder. If introduced it would apply to every premise in the Borough with 70% of the revenue going to the police.

Alcohol Disorder Zones were being repealed. The Chair asked about music. The answer given was that there were no changes, but later this year legislation would allow live music without a licence. Cllr Hornby recommended training courses to new councillors.

Cllr McCubbin asked if changes to the cumulative impact policy were likely?

Margaret O’Donnell answered his question and councillors were invited to put their names forward for the next panel.