Agenda and minutes

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 9 February 2022 were agreed as a correct record.

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There were no declarations of interest.

Information on matters of urgency is available online

There were no matters of urgency.

To agree any items to be dealt with after the public (including the Press) have been excluded. Thereare no itemswhich officersrecommendshould be dealtwithin thisway.

There were no confidential / exempt items.

The Sub Committee considered the application for the grant of a new premises licence to allow the sale of alcohol for consumption ON and OFF the premises at The Salt Cellars (formerly Greenway Lane Post Office & Stores), 30 Greenway Lane, Budleigh Salterton EX9 6SG.

The meeting was a hearing under the Licensing Act 2003.

The Chair introduced the members of the Sub Committee.

The applicant, present and entitled to make representations was Mr Richard Charlton.

The interested party, present and entitled to make representations was Mr Nick Johnson.

The Licensing Authority had not received representations from any responsible authorities.

The Sub Committee’s legal advisor, Giles Salter, outlined the procedure for the meeting.

The Licensing Officer, Lesley Barber, highlighted that the application seeks to license the sale of alcohol within the premises only, for consumption on and off the premises. She added that the sub-committee might wish to consider the applicant’s comments in his response to the Notice of Hearing, set out in Appendix E of the report, detailing amendments that he might be willing to make to the application.

No updates or amendments had been made since the publication of the report.

The applicant made his case for the application and highlighted the following points:

·        A full written statement responding to the concerns raised had been provided in advance of the meeting.

·        The intention is to provide alcohol with a focus on quality rather than quantity.

·        The premises is a deli and café; alcohol is an extension of the offering, introducing people to a range of new and local products that they will not find elsewhere in the town.

·        The applicant has applied for hours which he believes will not cause late disturbance or nuisance, taking account of the setting.

·        The premises is a small venue, intended to be an asset for the local community.

·        Local residents are welcome to speak directly with the applicant at any time and he will actively try to accommodate any concerns, and adapt if possible.

In response to questions from Members, the applicant made the following points:

·        There is no intention to open on Sundays; however, the application seeks to license the sale and consumption of alcohol on Sundays to give flexibility for one-off events without the need to apply for temporary event notices.

·        By way of compromise, the applicant is willing to amend the application to allow consumption of alcohol outside until 8.00pm, after which time customers will be asked to move inside.  

·        The outside area is small, seating approximately six people.

·        It is not intended to stop people from smoking or vaping outside, but there is no designated area for these activities.  The premises was formerly a shop and there were no restrictions at that time. 

·        The interior of the deli will comprise 5 tables, displays of stock and produce, and a counter.  The alcohol will be within an open display near the counter; this will not be set out as a bar.

·        Drinks will be sourced locally from within Devon, Cornwall  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35.