The Lewes District Council Licensing Committee is scheduled to meet to review the minutes of its previous meeting and discuss two items. The meeting report pack contains a draft of Lewes District Council’s new Statement of Gambling Principles. This will replace the current Statement, which came into effect in 2022.

Lewes District Council Statement of Gambling Principles

The report pack includes a new draft of Lewes District Council’s Statement of Gambling Principles for 2025-2028, which the meeting attendees will be asked to review. If approved, the new Statement will replace the existing version, which came into effect in 2022. A report prepared for the meeting states that it is a legal requirement for the Council to review the Statement every three years, and for the Council to then consult with the public and other interested parties, including Sussex Police Service.

It is proposed to consult with the Responsible Authorities, the licensing trade, public interest groups, partner agencies and through public consultation via www.lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk. - Lewes District Council

The draft of the proposed new statement says that Lewes District Council will:

• require that gambling operators submit a risk assessment with any application for a new Premises Licence, a variation to an existing Premises Licence, or when changes in the local environment or the premises warrant a risk assessment.
• consider the location of a proposed gambling establishment in relation to nearby sensitive premises, such as hostels and other facilities used by vulnerable persons e.g. drug and alcohol addictions
• expect applicants to demonstrate a full understanding of the maximum stakes and prizes of the gambling that is permissible in unlicensed FECs
• expect applicants to show that they have policies to protect children from harm, including wider child protection considerations

The Statement of Gambling Principles¹ is intended to provide guidance for the Council's Licensing Committee when it is making decisions about applications for Premises Licences² to operate gambling businesses in the District. It also sets out how the Council intends to work with its partners, such as the police and other local authorities, to ensure compliance with the Gambling Act 2005.

Supporting the transition to lower or zero emission vehicles in the taxi and private hire sector

The Committee will review the minutes of its previous meeting, which took place on 29 February 2024. The minutes detail a decision made on that date to exempt new hackney carriages and private hire vehicles from minimum age limits if they are defined by the Vehicle Certification Agency as low, hybrid, ultra-low or zero emission vehicles.