Agenda item

An application for a new premises licence has been received for the premises known as Ratio Bar (formerly known as Xchange), 4 The Triangle, Bournemouth.

This matter is brought before the Licensing Sub Committee for determination.

Present:

From BCP Council:

Tania Jardim – Licensing Officer

Linda Cole – Legal Advisor to the Sub-Committee

Jill Holyoake – Clerk to the Sub-Committee

The Chair made introductions and explained the procedure for the hearing which was agreed by all parties.

The Licensing Officer presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated and a copy of which appears as Appendix A to these minutes in the Minute Book.

The Sub Committee was asked to consider an application for a new premises licence for Ratio Bar (formerly known as Xchange), 4 The Triangle, Bournemouth, submitted by Ratio Bars Limited, to permit regulated entertainment and the supply of alcohol between the hours of 21:00 and 05:00 each day of the week.

In response to the application Dorset Police and Environmental Health had made representations against the application on the grounds that granting the licence would undermine the prevention of crime and disorder and the prevention of public nuisance licensing objectives. No other representations had been received.

Following the publication of the Licensing Officer’s report, the following evidence was received and published in two supplements, copies of which appear as Appendix B to these minutes in the Minute Book:

• Supporting information from Dorset Police
• Supporting information from the applicant which had been provided at the time of application but omitted in error from the report
• Supporting information from the Environmental Health Officer, including copies of two sound reports provided on behalf of the applicant.

The following persons attended the hearing and addressed the Sub- Committee to expand on the points made in written submissions:

• Mr Steve Wright, Licensing Consultant on behalf of Ratio Bars Limited
• Mr William Mouhana – Designated Premises Supervisor
• Sergeant Gareth Gosling and Ms Vanessa Rosales, Dorset Police Licensing, objector
• Mr Andrew Hill, BCP Council Environmental Health, objector

The Sub Committee asked various questions of all parties present and were grateful for the responses received. All parties had the opportunity to ask questions.

During the hearing, Mr Wright offered the following additional/amended conditions on behalf of the applicant with a view to addressing concerns raised by Dorset Police, Environmental Health and Sub Committee Members:

• The Premises Licence Holder shall be a member of Pub Watch and shall attend meetings regularly.
• An additional CCTV camera shall be fitted inside the lobby facing the front entrance.
• Amendment to proposed condition 14 under the prevention of crime and disorder, to replace “glass champagne flutes” with “polycarbonate champagne flutes”.
• A fully developed Drugs Policy shall be included as part of the operating schedule.
• A Personal Licence Holder shall be present on the premises at all times during trading hours.
• A suitable and sufficient sound engineer’s report shall be submitted to the Council for approval by Environmental Health.
• A suitable and sufficient schedule of works shall be submitted to the Council for approval by Environmental Health.
• All works shall be completed in accordance with the documents submitted to the Council and approved by Environmental Health, prior to the opening of the premises.
• All staff on the premises including SIA staff shall be issued with hand held radio communicators.
• The accommodation above the premises shall only be used for staff employees.
• The hours applied for on the licence to be amended to be from 22:00 to 03:00 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday (excluding Bank Holiday Sundays) and 22:00 to 05:00 on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.*

* With regard to the amended hours, Mr Wright sought assurance from Dorset Police that they would be happy with the application should the terminal hour be 03:00 7 days a week and the premises promote the licensing objectives. Dorset Police advised that this would be subject to other issues raised in their representation and at the hearing being addressed, not only by an assurance but through conditions, including but not exclusively the use of the upstairs accommodation, the responsibility of the premises to the wider community and safety concerns.

Mr Wright confirmed that the premises would not carry out promotions. It was noted that some of the wording in the applicant’s supporting information needed revising as it seemed to contradict this approach. Other matters raised included the number of SIA staff required on the premises each day and arrangements for the delivery of training.

During the submission from Environmental Health it became apparent that the applicant’s acoustic consultant had only submitted a sound insulation test report and preliminary noise survey report to the Council and his client on 19 December 2022 and that the acoustic consultant would now need to consult with specialist companies in relation to nightclub specific sound attenuation provision to resolve the issues raised.

In view of the need for further acoustic information to be submitted and the need to address other issues raised during the hearing, the Chair proposed with the agreement of the Sub Committee to adjourn the hearing until a later date to allow sufficient time for these matters to be given proper consideration.

RESOLVED that the hearing be adjourned until 10.00am on Wednesday 15 February 2023. 

 Voting: Unanimous