Agenda item

The purpose of the report is to enable the Sub-Committee to determine a request from Surrey Police for a review of the Premises Licence for the The Leathern Bottle, 77 Meadrow, Farncombe, Godalming, GU7 3JG under section 51 of the Licensing Act 2003. Twenty Eight relevant representations have been received from ‘other persons’, all in support of the premises.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Sub-Committee determine the application.

The Premises Licence Holder requested that the hearing be adjourned as it was felt that an adjudication would be premature, prejudicial and unfair. This, given that applications were being processed to transfer the licence and to vary the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) which the representative of Surrey Police indicated that he objected to and which would therefore likely be subject to separate hearing. The premises licence holder also referred to a number of steps which had been taken, since the review had been submitted, including variation of the premises licence and upgrades to the CCTV which he felt supported his request to adjourn.

Whilst the Committee were deliberating it was also discovered that a witness had come forward in relation to one incident referred to by the Surrey Police in their review request. It was accepted that the witness may be able to offer relevant evidence to the determining committee and as such the parties agreed that an adjournment would be both appropriate and in the interests of justice in the light of this new information.

The Committee noted in particular the date of the Surrey Police review application, that the premises licence holder was represented and the timing of the pending applications as well as the situation regarding the possible new witness coming to light. The Sub-Committee felt that in the circumstances it was in the interests of justice to agree to a short adjournment to the first convenient and available date to the parties. The Sub-Committee also made clear their expectation that the matter should proceed as an effective hearing on the next occasion.

It was therefore agreed to adjourn the hearing until the 12 September 2022.