Apologies were received from Councillor Sue Jones and Councillor Brian Miller.

In accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct, Members are requested to declare any interests orally at the start of the meeting and again immediately before consideration of the matter. Members are reminded to specify the agenda item number to which it refers and whether the interest is of a personal or prejudicial nature.

Members are also reminded of the requirements of Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 that they should declare and not vote on specified matters if they are two months or more in arrears with their Council Tax payments.

Councillor Chappell declared a personal and prejudicial interest in agenda item 4, SEX ESTABLISHMENT LICENSING: SEX ESTABLISHMENT POLICY, by virtue of her involvement in opposing the only venue of this type in the borough.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 20 October 2010 – attached.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 20 October 2010 be received and approved and the Chairman be authorised to sign them.

A sex establishment policy has been produced to coincide with the adoption of new legislation that provides greater powers to control premises offering lap/table dancing type activities, now classified as sexual entertainment venues. The policy also covers sex shops and sex cinemas. Taking account of the recent consultation responses the appropriate number of sex establishments for relevant localities is recommended be set at nil.

Report of the Head of Licensing attached.

Rosemary Jarvis, on behalf of Twickenham Christian Concern (TCC), told the committee that they supported the recommendation of a nil policy.  She stated that TCC was concerned about the various mental and physical effects sex establishments had on individuals.  They were also concerned about their effect on residents and their families.

Following a question by a member of the committee to Mrs Jarvis, the meeting was advised that TCC had seven members.

Members of the committee received the following answers to their questions:

·        There was already a ‘nil policy’ for sex shops and sex cinemas, but there was a need to review the ‘nil policy’ as the Council could be vulnerable to legal challenge if the Council had a ‘stale’ policy for those premises. 

·        This policy also incorporated the new classification of sexual entertainment venue (SEV). The Council needed to gauge the policy and number of sexual entertainment venues permitted in the locality.

·        A ‘nil policy’ was a presumption for the entire borough, but there was a legal obligation to consider all applications.

·        Any existing sex establishment in the borough would need to comply with the new policy from 14 December 2010 and such venues had six months to apply to convert their existing licences.  Beyond that date, if they were unsuccessful in gaining a licence for the activities defined in the SEV policy, they would have to cease those operations by 13 December 2011.

RESOLVED that:

1. the policy, as presented in the report, be approved subject to some minor amendments to correct typographical errors;
2. that the appropriate number of each classification of sex establishment in the borough be set as nil.