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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED: that for reasons contained within the Officers report the Licensing and Gambling Committee Considered the report and offered comments to Council on the revised Statement of Licensing Policy, prior to submission to Full Council on 11th November 2025. The meeting closed at 10.27 am.
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors P. Cook, D. Cushing, C. Gordon, D. Harse, J. Jones and W. Williams.
There were no declarations of interest received at the commencement or during the course of the meeting.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: that for reasons contained within the Officers report the Licensing and Gambling Committee Considered the report and offered comments to Council on the revised Statement of Licensing Policy, prior to submission to Full Council on 11th November 2025. The meeting closed at 10.27 am.
The Licensing Manager presented a report to the Licensing and Gambling Licensing Committee to review the Council’s Statement of Licensing Policy under the Licensing Act 2003, as required every five years. The report highlighted the proposed revisions, which are intended to go to Full Council for approval an implementation from the start of the next calendar year. The review included updates on alcohol harm, licensing hours, personal safety schemes, the role of the Home Office, expectations under Martin’s Law, designated premises supervisor responsibilities, alcohol deliveries, shadow licences, large-scale events, and annual fees. Consultation feedback was summarized, including responses from responsible authorities and stakeholders. The Chair thanked the Licensing Manager and invited Members questions or comments. One Member asked what practical steps are in place to ensure licence holders understand and comply with new requirements, especially regarding Martin’s Law, and how compliance would be monitored. The Licensing Manager confirmed that the updated policy will be circulated to all licence and club premises certificate holders. Engagement with the Security Industry Authority (SIA) is expected, as they will be the lead regulator for Martin’s Law. The licensing authority will share guidance and best practices as they become available. Monitoring will continue through existing channels, including compliance visits and responding to complaints, with support provided to licence holders as needed. The Member asked a follow up question and asked about monitoring training for staff especially regarding proxy sales and the role of the designated premises supervisor. It was confirmed that training was the responsibility of licence holders and would be assessed during compliance visits and investigations. The designated premises supervisor must have completed the personal licence course, which covers relevant topics. Intelligence-led monitoring will continue, with issues addressed as they arise. Members were reassured that Officers would consider additional strategies to improve engagement and response rates in future consultations, potentially with advice from the Council’s engagement team. A Member commented on the importance of training and noted that financial controls (e.g., till discrepancies) often drive compliance. The Chair acknowledged the point and thanked the Member. The Chair asked if the changes to licensing hours were substantive or mainly a reflection of current practice. The Licensing Manager advised that the policy provides guidance, but each application would be considered on its merits. The main change was to encourage applicants to consider the local context (e.g., residential vs. town centre) when applying for late hours. One Member expressed concern about the low number of consultation responses and sought clarification on how engagement could be improved. The Officer commented that it had been noted that 14 responses were received and this was typical for such consultations, with key input from responsible authorities. The engagement platform was accessible, but participation was voluntary. The team would consider further improvements for future consultations. And consider additional strategies to improve engagement and response rates in future consultations, potentially with advice from the Council’s engagement team. Clarification was sought on what efforts would be in place to follow up with non-respondents and whether responses were tracked by location or percentage. The Licensing Manager confirmed that all responses were included in the officer report. Pre-consultation work was done with the Gwent Licensing Forum and Responsible Authorities. With over 600 licensed premises, the low response rate may indicate general satisfaction or lack of engagement unless issues arise. Future consultations may explore additional outreach methods. The Legal Officer also commented that existing licence holders may not engage unless they are seeking a variation or review, making broad engagement challenging. The Licensing Manager confirmed that he would circulate the revised policy to all licence and club premises certificate holders upon approval. The Licensing Team would maintain ongoing engagement with the SIA and share relevant guidance and best practices with licence holders as Martin’s Law is implemented. Continue intelligence-led monitoring and provide support to licence holders as needed, especially regarding training and compliance. A Member commented that the report was well written with very good explanations and praised the report authors. The Licensing Manger thanked the Member for their comments and confirmed he would pass that back to the team. There were no further questions. The Chair thanked everyone in attendance. Following consideration and discussion on the report RESOLVED: that for reasons contained within the Officers report the Licensing and Gambling Committee Considered the report and offered comments to Council on the revised Statement of Licensing Policy, prior to submission to Full Council on 11th November 2025. The meeting closed at 10.27 am.
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