The Licensing Hearing of Northumberland Council was scheduled to discuss procedures for licensing hearings and consider an application for a new premises licence for McDonald's Restaurants Ltd. The meeting was also set to address the disclosure of members' interests.

Procedure at Licensing Hearings

The meeting was scheduled to begin by reviewing the procedures for licensing hearings, as outlined in the document Procedure - Licensing Hearings .¹ This would have covered the expected conduct and protocols for the hearing.

Application for a New Premises Licence

A significant item on the agenda was the determination of an application for a new premises licence for McDonald's Restaurants Ltd, located at 334 Cowpen Road, Blyth, NE24 5ND. The application, submitted by Shoosmiths LLP on behalf of McDonald's Restaurants Ltd, sought permission for the licensable activity of Late-Night Refreshment. Specifically, this was requested for Fridays and Saturdays between 23:00 and 00:00hrs. The agenda indicated that two objections had been received from interested parties, citing concerns related to the prevention of public nuisance. The report detailing this application is available in the document McDonalds report .²

Disclosure of Members' Interests

The agenda also included a section on the disclosure of members' interests. Councillors were reminded of their obligations under the Council's Code of Conduct regarding Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPIs) and Other Registrable Interests. This procedure ensures transparency and prevents potential conflicts of interest. The detailed guidance on these interests can be found in Appendix B of the Code of Conduct, referenced in documents App A and App B .³⁴