The Licensing Committee of West Oxfordshire Council met on Wednesday 21 May 2025 to appoint members to its sub-committees for the upcoming civic year. The committee also approved the minutes of its previous meeting.

Appointment of Licensing Sub-Committees

The committee resolved to appoint five members to the Miscellaneous Licensing Sub-Committee for the 2025/26 municipal year, ensuring political proportionality among the Liberal Democrat, Conservative, Labour, and Green groups. It was also noted that the Licensing Panel membership would consist of the Chair or Vice-Chair of the Licensing Committee and two other members selected via an alphabetical rota, provided they had completed the necessary licensing training.

The Miscellaneous Licensing Sub-Committee is responsible for determining applications for taxi, private hire, and street trading licences, particularly in cases where the applicant has previous convictions. The Licensing Panel, on the other hand, handles Personal Licences and Premises Licences when representations are received, and considers Temporary Event Notices with objections from the Police or Environmental Health.

The report detailing these appointments was presented by Anne Learmonth, Democratic Services Officer. The recommendations were proposed by Councillor Andrew Lyon and seconded by Councillor David Melvin, and were unanimously agreed by the committee. The decision ensures that licensing applications can be determined in a timely manner, reducing the risk of challenges to decisions.

Minutes of Previous Meeting

The committee approved the minutes of its previous meeting, held on Monday 19 November 2024. Councillor Jane Doughty proposed the motion, which was seconded by Councillor Andrew Lyon, and agreed by the committee.

The minutes from the November meeting confirmed the approval of the Statement of Principles under the Gambling Act 2005 and the continuation of a no-casino resolution for West Oxfordshire. This resolution means that any applications for a casino in the district would be determined by Full Council. The previous meeting also saw the appointment of sub-committees for the civic year 2024/25.