To consider a report of the Head of Regulatory Services.

The Head of Regulatory Services submitted a report informing Members of an application for the grant of a premises licence for Totties, The Causeway, Altrincham, WA14 1DE which had attracted representations from local residents.

 

All parties present at the hearing were invited to address the Sub-Committee.

 

Representations were made in support of the application by the applicant Mr. J. Dodd.  Representations were made against the application by local residents Mr. Ingram and Ms Burton.

 

RESOLVED –

 

(1)          That the application by Mr. Dodd for the grant of a premises licence for Totties, The Causeway, Altrincham be granted subject to compliance with the conditions outlined in the decision notice.

 

(2)          That the issue of the Licence be delegated to the Head of Regulatory Services.

 

 

LICENSING SUB-COMMITTEE DECISION NOTICE

 

Sub Committee       Councillor D. Jarman (Chairperson)       

Members:                 Councillor D. Butt

                                    Councillor S. Thomas

 

Applicant:                 Mr Jonathan Dodd

                                   

Type of Licence:    Grant of a new Premises Licence: Totties, The Causeway, Altrincham, WA14 1DE

 

Representors:         Local Residents – in attendance

Ms A. Burton

Mr. R. Ingram

 

           

Parties Present:     On behalf of Applicant – in attendance

                                    Mr. J. Dodd - Applicant

 

 

Officers

Emma Sharples – Solicitor (Corporate & Commercial)

                                    Kieran Hinchliffe – Senior Licensing Officer

                                    Alex Murray – Governance Officer

 

 

Date of Hearing:      20 April 2021

Time Commence:     6.30 p.m.

Time Terminated:     7.53 p.m.

LICENSING SUB-COMMITTEE DECISION

 

The Sub-Committee decided that the representations received from local residents were relevant representations.

 

To grant a new premises licence as follows:-

 

Recorded Music - Indoors

Monday – Sunday   20:00 – 03:00

 

Dance - Indoors

Monday – Sunday   20:00 – 03:00

 

 

Late Night Refreshment - Indoors

Monday – Sunday   20:00 – 03:00

 

Supply of Alcohol – On Sales

Monday – Sunday   20:00 – 03:00

 

Opening Hours

Monday – Sunday   20:00 – 03:00

 

 

CONDITIONS

 

Any mandatory conditions which must be included under the Licensing Act 2003.

 

ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS

 

1. Door staff will operate at the club only on weekends and when we expect it to be busy due to other circumstances and will assure safety and that only customers above the age of 18 are allowed access.

2. CCTV will operate inside and outside the premises which will deter crime, we will help assist the authorities if any incidents occur.

3. Regular safety checks will be carried out throughout the club.

4. An incident log (which may be electronically recorded) will be kept at the premises for at least six months, and made available on request to the police or an authorised officer of the licensing authority, which will record the following incidents including pertinent details:

(i) All alleged crimes reported to the venue or by the venue to the police

(ii) All ejections of patrons

(iii) Any complaints received

(iv) Any incidents of disorder

(v) Seizures of drugs, offensive weapons, fraudulent ID or other items

(vi) Any faults in the CCTV system, searching equipment or scanning equipment

(vii) Any refusal of the sale of alcohol

(viii) Any faults in the CCTV system, searching equipment or scanning

equipment

 

(ix)  Any visit by a responsible authority or emergency service

(x) The times on duty, names and the licence numbers of all licensed door supervisors employed by the premises.

5. The club and all members of staff working behind the bar will use a challenge 25 system and will be trained to know what constitutes as legal identification to prevent underage sales.

6. The club will have full CCTV inside and outside the club which deters any criminal behaviour.

 

7. The premises will not sell any beer, lager, or cider that is equal to or greater than 6% ABV.

 

8. We will not sell single cans of beer, lager or cider.

9. Door supervisors will be present at weekends, and if there is any particular occasion in which we deem there to be a likelihood of more customers on a weekday, we will have 2 doormen operating together and that will always be under the 1 doorman per 100 customer ratio.

10. Door staff will be SIA registered.

11. Door staff will have radios to contact the bar manager, as they are located downstairs at the premises, and will also regularly check the bar floor.

12. Door staff will sign in upon arrival and will note their badge numbers.

13. CCTV will be operational operated throughout the club:

(i) CCTV cameras are located within the premises to cover all public areas including all entrances and exits.

(ii) The system will record clear images permitting the identification of individuals.

(iii) The CCTV system will be able to capture a minimum of 24 frames per second and all recorded footage will be securely retained for a minimum of 28 days.

(iv) The CCTV system will operate at all times while the premises are open for licensable activities.

(v) All equipment will have a constant and accurate time and date generation.

(vi) The CCTV system will be fitted with security functions to prevent recordings being tampered with, i.e. password protected.

(vii) There will be members of trained staff at the premises during operating hours able to provide viewable copies on request to police or authorised local authority officers as soon as is reasonably practicable in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 (or any replacement legislation).

(viii) A staff member from the premises who is conversant with the operation of the CCTV system will be on the premises at all times when the premises are open.  This staff member must be able to provide a police officer or authorised council officer copies of recent CCTV images or data with the minimum of delay when requested.

14. The club will have two signs one upon entry of the club and one upon entry of the toilet stating our zero tolerance approach to drug use in the property.

15. There will be a lockable box which only the DPS can access upon the venue and the contents when emptied will be given to the Greater Manchester Police for proper disposal.

16. Regular safety checks will be taken throughout the club and any dangers amended immediately.

17. If customers have had too much to drink, staff are trained and will refuse service in their safety interest.

18. In case of emergencies there will always be one competent member of staff able to offer an adequate and appropriate level of first aid and a fully stocked first aid kit will always be on site.

19. Regular noise checks will be taken outside and measures will be taken within the premises in order to stop any public nuisance. We will stop serving alcohol half an hour before we close and the door staff will disperse people from lingering outside the club.

20. Deliveries will be at a regular time each week during normal working hours during the day and will safely stop in our loading bay right outside the premises, they will have access to the Licence Holder’s contact number.

21. There will be bins provided for cigarette butts in smoking areas.

22. A cleaner will come in at 6am and will ensure that there is no litter from the premises.

23. Empty bottles will be stored in a locked bin outside the club for collection.

24. No children will be able to enter the premises.

25. Door supervisors shall use their best endeavours to remind patrons to leave in a quiet and orderly manner.

26. A sign shall be located at the exit(s) requesting that customers leave the premises quietly and with consideration to the neighbours.

27. No external speakers shall be operated from the premises.

CONDITIONS AGREED BY TRADING STANDARDS

 

28. CCTV to be installed and maintained in working order. CCTV images to be retained for 28 days and produced to Authorised Officers of Trafford Council and police immediately upon request. CCTV equipment to be checked at the commencement of the trading day.  If the CCTV is not working no sale of alcohol may take place until such times as the equipment is working.

 

29. Challenge 25 scheme to be operated at the premises. Challenge 25 posters to be clearly and prominently displayed.

 

30. A refusal log is to be kept to record dates and times of all refusals to entry and alcohol to underage persons. A copy of the Refusals Log will be made available immediately upon request of Authorised Officers of Trafford and GMP.

 

31. To provide training, at least every six months, to existing staff, on the law relating to underage sales of alcohol. To provide training for all new staff on the sale of age restricted products. To inform all staff of changes in the law relating to age-restricted products as and when required. To keep written records of all training provided in respect to the law relating to underage sales of alcohol. Staff to sign and date records to confirm that the training has been received and understood.

 

32. To attend training seminars organised by any responsible person as and when requested to do so.

 

33. To notify staff of any reports of alleged underage sale incidents that have been brought to your attention by officers of Trafford Council. To keep a log of such notifications on file, ready for inspection by authorised officers of Trafford if required. To record any remedial action following a report from Trading Standards of an alleged underage sale from the premise. To produce a copy of the ‘Record of Remedial Action’ if requested by an authorised officer of Trafford Council

 

 

LICENSING SUB-COMMITTEE’S REASONS FOR REACHING ITS DECISION

 

The Sub-Committee considered the Licensing Act 2003 and regulations, the Guidance and the Council’s Licensing Policy and the application, together with the information provided by all parties at the hearing.

 

The Sub-Committee carefully considered the concerns raised by local residents and balanced those concerns with the interests of the applicant and the licensing objectives.

 

The Sub-Committee was satisfied that the statutory requirements regarding notices, advertisements and time limits had been complied with.

 

The Sub-Committee noted that the concerns raised by local residents were mainly on the grounds of public nuisance as the concerns regarded litter and noise from customers at the premises.

 

The Sub-Committee noted that the applicant had included a number of additional measures on the operating schedule to illustrate how they propose to promote the four licensing objectives.  The Sub-Committee felt that the conditions the Applicant had proposed, together with those agreed in consultation with the Council’s Trading Standards team, were adequate to satisfy the local residents’ concerns in relation to public nuisance caused by noise.

 

The Sub-Committee noted that there had been no representations made by the responsible authorities and that no complaints/reviews had been raised in the previous 15 years of Totties having held a premises licence.  Mr Dodd was reminded to engage with the residents to address any concerns that they had first and foremost and the residents were reminded of their ability to make complaints to the Council with regards to any issues that remained unresolved.