Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety introduced the draft Statement of Licensing Policy for the period 2022-2027.  The policy had been subject to public consultation and had been endorsed by the Cabinet on 18 January 2022.

The Cabinet Member advised that the updated policy set out how the Council intended to discharge its responsibilities, as a licensing authority, in relation to the sale of alcohol, regulated entertainment and late-night refreshment.  A number of changes were proposed to the Council’s existing policy, which included new sections on entitlement to work in the UK, illegal working and the responsibilities of operators, ‘Safe for All’, COVID-19 and security and terrorism, as well as updates in relation to the use of outside areas and noise control, Public Spaces Protection Orders and licence fee payment arrangements. 

With regard to ‘Safe for All’, the Cabinet Member explained that the Council was committed to ensuring that venues in the Borough were safe and inclusive and that operators and their staff were able to identify and deal with cases of harassment, sexual violence, discrimination and hate crime.  The Council was, therefore, promoting the Mayor of London’s Women’s Safety Charter, as well as other initiatives such as ‘Ask for Angela’, allowing people to discreetly indicate to venue staff that they felt vulnerable or threatened, ‘Ask for Clive’, which promoted inclusion and welcoming environments for the LGBT+ community, and the Council’s own Safe Haven campaign.  Operators would be encouraged to sign up to those initiatives and, in return, would benefit from training support.

The Assembly welcomed the changes to the policy, in particular those around the ‘Safe for All’ initiative, which would help to protect the boroughs residents and visitors.

The Assembly resolved to adopt the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Statement of Licensing Policy 2022-2027, as set out at Appendix A to the report.

The Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety introduced the draft Statement of Licensing Policy for the period 2022-2027 which had been subject to public consultation and was due to be submitted to the Assembly later in the month for adoption.

The Cabinet Member advised that the updated policy set out how the Council intended to discharge its responsibilities, as a licensing authority, in relation to the sale of alcohol, regulated entertainment and late-night refreshment.  A number of changes were proposed to the Council’s existing policy, which included new sections on entitlement to work in the UK, illegal working and the responsibilities of operators, ‘Safe for All’, COVID-19 and security and terrorism, as well as updates in relation to the use of outside areas and noise control, Public Spaces Protection Orders and licence fee payment arrangements. 

With regard to ‘Safe for All’, the Cabinet Member explained that the Council was committed to ensuring that venues in the Borough were safe and inclusive and that operators and their staff were able to identify and deal with cases of harassment, sexual violence, discrimination and hate crime.  The Council was, therefore, promoting the Mayor of London’s Women’s Safety Charter, as well as other initiatives such as ‘Ask for Angela’, allowing people to discreetly indicate to venue staff that they felt vulnerable or threatened, ‘Ask for Clive’, which promoted inclusion and welcoming environments for the LGBT+ community, and the Council’s own Safe Haven campaign.  Operators would be encouraged to sign up to those initiatives and, in return, would benefit from training support.

Cabinet resolved to:

(i)  Endorse the main changes to the policy, as set out in section 4 of the report; and

(ii)  Recommend the Assembly to adopt the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Statement of Licensing Policy 2022-2027, as set out at Appendix A to the report.