The General Purposes and Licensing Committee of Bromley Council met on Tuesday 1 April 2025 to discuss several key items, including the Statement of Licensing Policy for 2025-2030, room booking arrangements at the new Civic Centre, and proposed changes to the Council's Constitution. Decisions were made regarding the updated licensing policy and recommendations for constitutional changes, while discussions on room bookings were deferred for further investigation.

Statement of Licensing Policy 2025-2030

The committee approved the draft Statement of Licensing Policy (SLP) for 2025-2030 for submission to full Council. This updated policy reflects the recommendation to remove Cumulative Impact Zones in Bromley and Beckenham town centres, following a statutory review that found insufficient evidence to support their continuation. The policy also proposes amending the Council's Constitution to allow Licensing Sub-Committees to convene with a minimum of two members, rather than the previous requirement of three. During the discussion, a member noted that Policy 98 in the Bromley Local Plan had been renamed Policy RE6 in the draft new Bromley Local Plan and requested this be updated in the SLP. The committee also supported checking the terminology used for LGBTQI+ to ensure accuracy. The Licensing Manager clarified the statutory consultation process for new licences and variations, emphasising the applicant's responsibility to provide evidence of compliance and the Council's ability to review licences if discrepancies or non-compliance with conditions are identified. Another member expressed support for the draft policy, having previously discussed various issues with the Licensing Team.

Room Booking Arrangements at the New Civic Centre

The committee discussed options for room booking arrangements at the new Civic Centre, Churchill Court. Following the move to the new building, the committee considered how to generate additional revenue by making the Council Chamber and committee rooms available for hire. While acknowledging the financial challenges facing the Council, the report explored various charging models, concluding that a hybrid approach was most realistic. This approach would involve no charges for Council and committee meetings, as well as group meetings related to Council business. However, other meetings, including annual conferences, partner meetings, and charity meetings, would be chargeable. Members debated the specifics of this hybrid model, with suggestions to exempt ward surgeries from charges and to offer differential pricing for commercial organisations, charities, and regular bookers. The Director of Corporate Services and Governance noted the suggestion regarding ward surgeries but pointed out that these typically occur within members' wards and that opening the building outside office hours for such purposes would incur additional costs. The committee agreed that further work by Facilities Services was needed to explore the points raised, and a subsequent report would be presented on 22 May 2025.

Constitution Working Group - Recommendations on Scrutiny

The committee considered recommendations from the Constitution Working Group aimed at improving the effectiveness of the Council's scrutiny function. The Working Group proposed a pilot project for the Environment and Community Services Policy Development and Scrutiny (PDS) Committee, which would involve less emphasis on pre-decision scrutiny and a reduction in scheduled meetings from five to four per annum. This would allow more time for policy development and other scrutiny approaches. Members expressed support for the pilot but highlighted the need to ensure members remain informed of a wide range of matters. Concerns were raised about the limited scope of the pilot and the reduction in meeting frequency potentially impacting policy development and scrutiny time. The Chairman of the Constitution Working Group explained that the proposed schedule would allow for more evenly spaced meetings and that additional meetings could be arranged if necessary, with robust monitoring of the work programme. The committee recommended that the Council approve the pilot project for the Environment and Community Services PDS Committee and support the reduction in scheduled meetings to four per annum for the pilot.

Constitution Working Group - Local Plan Changes

The committee reviewed minor, technical changes to the Council's Constitution related to the Borough's Local Plan, which is currently undergoing review. These changes aim to update terminology, reflect current Council arrangements, and align the Constitution with the correct legal position, without altering the role of the Development Control Committee or the processes for the Local Plan. The Portfolio Holder for Renewal, Recreation and Housing and the Chairman of the Development Control Committee both supported the proposals. The committee recommended that the Council approve the detailed changes to Chapters 2, 3, and 5 of the Constitution concerning the Forward Plan, as outlined in Appendix A of Report CSD25042.

Work Programme and Matters Outstanding

The committee received a report summarising its work programme for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 Council years and outlining matters outstanding from previous meetings. A review of the Environment and Community Services PDS Committee pre-decision scrutiny pilot was agreed to be scheduled for the committee's meeting on 9 April 2026. The committee noted the work programme and matters outstanding.

Licensing Sub-Committee Minutes

The committee received and noted the minutes of the Licensing Sub-Committee meeting held on 16 December 2024.

Confirmation of Minutes

The minutes of the meetings held on 28 January and 11 February 2025 were confirmed.