Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Lloyd Briscoe, Robin Parker, Ellie Plater, Tom Plater, Ceara Roopchand, Carolina Veres and Tom Wren.

To approve as a correct record of the minutes of the previous meeting held on 22 December 2025.

It was RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting of the Licensing Committee held on 22 December 2025 be agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To note the procedure for the hearing of licensing applications and reviews.

It was RESOLVED that the Terms of Reference be noted.

To determine five Temporary Event Notices applied for by Mr Manning, the organiser of Winter Wonderland, Stevenage.

The Committee considered five objections to Temporary Event Notices (TENs) at the Stevenage Winter Wonderland at Stevenage Leisure Park, Kingsway, Stevenage.

The Council’s Licencing Officer introduced the report outlining the five TENs submitted by the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS).

Members were advised that the event operated under a premises licence which authorised licensable activities between 22 November to 10 January annually, which included the sale of alcohol from 10:00am to 10:00pm.

The applicant sought to extend the operation beyond this period, covering four weekends in late January and early February. It also included dates in the February half term. These included:

1)    23^rd January to 25^th January 2026

2)    30^th January to 1^st February 2026

3)    6^th February to 8^th February 2026

4)    13^th February to 15^th February 2026

5)    17^th February to 22^nd February 2026

The Chair then invited Environmental Health to present their case.

The Commercial Environmental Health Manager addressed the Committee and confirmed that the objection was on the basis that the TENs submitted would undermine the Licensing Objectives. If the event was to proceed in the absence of the conditions, there would be limited enforceable control for the event.

Members noted that conditions attached to the existing premises licence do not automatically apply to TENs, and that only the Licensing Authority may attach conditions where a valid objection had been made.

The Chair invited the Committee to ask questions to the Commercial Environmental Health Manager. There were none.

There being no representation from the Premises the Committees consideration was limited to the TENs and communication form the licensing agent.

The Chair invited all parties to sum up.

The Licensing Officer confirmed that the Committee was responsible for reaching a decision on the application, including whether the event should proceed, whether it should proceed subject to conditions, or be refused through the issue of a counter notice.

Environmental Health declined to provide a summary.

It was RESOLVED to permit the TENs to proceed, subject to all of the Premises Licence conditions with the exception of conditions 1, 2 and 3 in Annex 3 of the Premises Licence Conditions.

REASON FOR DECISION

The Committee considered all written and oral representations, the Licensing Objectives, the Council’s Licensing Policy and statutory guidance.

The Committee considered the applications from Environmental Health and noted that they had no compliance concerns for the Premises, and did not consider the event should be prevented from proceeding.

The Committee understood that the concerns raised in the objection were made to ensure that for the extended period, the promotion of the Licensing Objectives were achieved.

The Committee acknowledged that by imposing the Premises License Conditions, this would be an appropriate way to promote the Licensing Objectives.

To consider any Part I business accepted by the Chair as urgent.

There was no Urgent Part I Business.

To consider the following motions –

1.  That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in paragraphs1 – 7 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act as amended by Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006.

2.  That Members consider the reasons for the following reports being in Part II and determine whether or not maintaining the exemption from disclosure of the information contained therein outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

It was RESOLVED:

1.    That under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in Paragraphs 1 – 7 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act as amended by Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006.

2.    That the reasons for the following reports being in Part II were accepted, and that the exemption from disclosure of the information contained therein outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

To consider any Part II business accepted by the Chair as urgent.

There was no Urgent Part II Business.