Agenda item - Chairman's Communications

              Web casting

216.1    The Chairman explained that afternoon’s meeting of the Planning Committee was being web cast. Members were reminded to speak directly into the microphones and to switch them off when they had finished speaking in order to ensure that they could be heard clearly.

              Health Impact Assessment of the Licensing Act 2003

216.2    The Chairman explained this matter had been referred to the Committee from the Licensing Committee for their information and would subsequently be forwarded to the Cabinet Member for Environment.

216.3    The Council had commissioned a health impact assessment of the Licensing Act 2003 and the direct implications arising from the final report for the planning authority were:

              To control the impacts of the introduction of flexible alcohol licensing hours through the land use classifications and to use the test of public amenity;

              To review planning policy with the aim of using the planning system to develop and maintain a balance between the establishment and extension of large chains of licensed premises and that of small businesses including small local public houses;

              To ensure that any change of use to an external area associated with licensed premises is subject to planning permission (e.g. waste storage area to beer gardens);

              To consider using planning gain to fund the provision of community facilities that provide alternatives to drinking, especially for young people;

              To enforce the land-use designations made in planning applications;

              Enforcement officers should challenge any change to the implementation of land-use category A4 when the category A3 was applied for and granted planning permission;

              To integrate strategies for the licensing of sales of alcohol and planning, ensuring that planning and licensing authorities work together.

216.4    The Chairman went on to explain that the planning system and supplementary planning policy may be used to achieve some measures to improve public health matters arising from development of the licensed trade.

216.5    RESOLVED – That the position be noted.