Agenda and draft minutes

To appoint a Chairman for the meeting.

Councillors Sarson and Jones moved and seconded the nomination for Councillor Cragg to chair the meeting.

To note declarations of Members’ disclosable pecuniary interests, non-disclosable pecuniary interests and non-pecuniary interests in respect of items on the Agenda.

No declarations of interest were received.

Introduction and Procedure

The purpose of the meeting was to consider an application from Queenswood School.

The applicant is in line with legislation by displaying Blue Notices at the Premises on the 2nd September 2024 and advertised the application in the Welwyn Hatfield Times on the 4th September 2024, the Public register was updated and placed on the Councils website and all the Responsible Authorities, Parish Councils and Councillors were notified.

The Licence Hearing is because of the Licensing Authority receiving a formal written relevant representation against the application from Hertfordshire Public Health which remains outstanding. The representation to the application has been submitted under the Licensing Act 2003 on the statutory ground of protection of children from harm.

Documentary Evidence

The report of the Licensing Officer, the premises licence application and supporting documents, along with written representations from the relevant authorities which had been previously circulated.

Report of the Licensing Officer

The Licensing Officer presented the report.

The application was received Stephanie Hall, Head of Catering and Lettings at Queenswood School on behalf of the premises licence holder Queenswood School Ltd under the Licensing Act 2003 for a variation to the premises licence.

The variation was to remove mandatory condition 1, remove condition 4, amend mandatory condition 3 and remove conditions 1-3 from Annex 2.  The school was seeking the removal and amendment to conditions on the existing premises licence as the premises find the current licence restrictive. The school were seeking removal of mandatory condition 1 as part of a new educational scheme which would include the introduction of a school social event club where students aged 16–18 years old (who are pre-registered with the school as part of the scheme and have their parent/guardian’s permission to be part of the scheme) could be served a maximum of 2 glasses of beer, wine or cider (not including spirits) with a meal at a school social event. The sale of alcohol would be with the student’s parent/guardian so no sale of alcohol to students would take place at social club events. The school are proposing additional added controls as part of the scheme which can be found in the agenda pack.

In determining the application, the sub-committee may on behalf of the licensing authority, and having regard to the promotion of the licensing objectives, statute, guidance and policy decide on the following courses of action: 

a)    To grant the licence as proposed

b)    To modify the conditions of the licence by altering or omitting or adding to them (and for this purpose the conditions of the licence are modified if any of them is altered or omitted or any new condition is added)

c)    To exclude any of the licensable activities to which the application relates.

d)    To refuse to specify a person in the licence as the designated premises supervisor. 

e)    To reject the whole of the application or part of it.

The Applicant, Queenswood School - Stephanie Hall, Ceri Stokes and Ian Williams

The following points were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.