Agenda and minutes

Councillor Steeds was elected chair of the meeting.

Surrey Police had applied for the premises licence and club certificate to be reviewed following a disorderly incident at the Club on the evening of 21^st October 2020 (not reported to the police by management or staff) involving a breach of Covid restrictions and an assault on a police officer. The police had supplied CCTV footage of the incident which had been viewed separately by the three Sub-Committee members, Club committee members and Peter Savill. The police application asked for other matters to be taken into account, namely:

·                alcohol related incidents on 29^th January 2018, 3^rd May 2019 and

          22^nd September 2019 (not reported to the police by management or staff); and 

·                a music festival on 29^th and 30^th June 2019 which went ahead in breach of a counter notices from the Licensing Authority (issued in accordance with a decision of the Licensing Sub-Committee at a hearing on 26^th June 2019 instigated by a police objection to the associated Temporary Event Notice).

The application concluded that the police had no confidence in the Club’s ability to promote the licensing objectives and sought the revocation of both the premises licence and the club certificate. Surrey Police requested that , should the Sub-Committee decide against this, the current Designated Premises Supervisor (Mark Courtney) be removed and the premises licence and club certificate be suspended for three months, with additional conditions to be imposed upon both. Jeff Barretto, the Club Chairman, had confirmed his support for the conditions requested by the Police, apart from the requirement for door staff at all events to be run under the Club Certificate.

In response to the application, representations had been submitted by Paul Holliday (Senior Licensing Officer) on behalf of the Licensing Authority. These supported the alternative police representations (referred to above) on the basis that a suspension would enable the Club to address governance issues and elect a new committee.

Representations had also been submitted by:

·           the Club, including documentation which sought to demonstrate that new control measures were in place and explanations regarding the management of the premises in connection with the previous incidents cited by the police; and

·           five individuals with e-mails of support for the Club.

The Chair explained the way in which the hearing would be conducted and advised that       a decision would be made on a future date.

Ian Garrod presented his report regarding the police application.

Peter Savill presented the case for the police in seeking the revocation of both the    premises licence and club certificate.

            Paul Holliday summarised his representations on behalf of the Licensing Authority and concluded that the alternative recommendation (to suspend the premises licence and    club certificate and reinstating them with new conditions) should only be            implemented if the Sub-Committee was confident that the Club would be able to promote the licensing objectives.  

The Sub-Committee then heard representations from Jeff Barretto, Mark Courtney, Michelle Smith and Frank Howe on behalf of the Club.

Mark Courtney’s  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.