This week, the Dacorum Borough Council held several important meetings, leading to significant decisions that will impact the local community.

Licensing and Health and Safety Enforcement Sub-Committee

The Licensing and Health and Safety Enforcement Sub-Committee meeting on Tuesday, 25 June 2024, covered several key topics, including a new late-night refreshment licence and a review of the Council's Statement of Licensing Policy.

Late Night Refreshment Licence Application - Mr Singh

The Committee considered an application for a new Late Night Refreshment licence for Spice Fusion, a restaurant located at 144 High Street, Kings Langley. This application, submitted by Mr Singh, was brought before the Committee due to an objection from a member of the public concerned about potential noise and disturbance.

The Environmental Health team reviewed the application and did not object, provided certain conditions were met, such as keeping doors and windows closed after 11pm and restricting deliveries during late hours. The Committee approved the licence with these conditions.

Mr Singh addressed the Committee, expressing his commitment to minimizing noise and disturbance:

I understand that some residents are concerned about noise. I want to reassure them that I will do everything I can to minimise noise from the restaurant.

Councillor Ahsan, who called in the application, emphasized the importance of considering residents' views and expressed confidence in Mr Singh's responsible operation of the restaurant.

Dacorum Borough Council Statement of Licensing Policy 2025-2030

The Committee also reviewed a draft Statement of Licensing Policy for 2025-2030, as required by the Licensing Act 2003. This policy sets out how the Council will execute its licensing functions and must be reviewed every five years.

Key proposed changes include:

• Introduction of a new Cumulative Impact Zone in Hemel Hempstead.¹
• New policies for licensing gambling premises and street trading.

The Committee approved the draft policy for a 12-week public consultation period.

Member Development Steering Group

The Member Development Steering Group meeting on Wednesday, 26 June 2024, focused on the Member Development Programme for 2024-2025 and budget considerations.

Member Development Programme 2024-2025

The Group discussed the Member Development Programme 2024-2025, which was developed based on a survey of Councillors' training needs. The Programme aims to provide flexible training, especially for new Councillors joining after the next election.

Councillor Terry Douris raised a question about the Programme's flexibility to accommodate new members, to which the Head of Governance & Democratic Services confirmed that additional training sessions could be arranged as required.

Budget

The Group approved a £500 increase in the training budget for additional training on equality, diversity, and inclusion. This decision aligns with the Council's recently adopted Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy.

Labour Group Leader Councillor Margaret Griffiths emphasized the importance of this training:

The Council had recently adopted a new Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, and it was important that all Members were aware of its contents.

The training budget for the Member Development Programme is now set at £10,500 per year.

Member Development Survey

The Group reviewed the results of the recent Member Development Survey, which had a 57% response rate from Councillors. The survey highlighted popular training topics such as planning, licensing, and finance, and indicated general satisfaction with the quality of training provided by the Council.

Cancelled Meeting

The Standards Committee meeting scheduled for Thursday, 27 June 2024, was cancelled.