The Stratford-on-Avon District Council Regulatory Committee met on 18 September 2025 to discuss enforcement and environmental health and licensing updates. The committee noted the progress of resolving outstanding enforcement cases and formal actions taken, as well as the activities within the Environmental Health and Licensing teams, including updates on the service plan. They also reviewed minutes from previous Licensing Panel meetings.

Enforcement Update

The committee received a report to update the progress of resolving outstanding enforcement cases and formal action taken since the last meeting.

The report included a comparison of cases received and closed, showing that the number of cases received in 2024 was the highest in the last five years, with 651 cases. The Enforcement Team is currently managing over 300 cases, which is the highest number in at least the last three years.

The committee was informed that over 50% of cases closed in 2024 were closed as either no breach or declined to investigate. A workshop was held with committee members and other key councillors to discuss this data and review the Local Enforcement Plan.

The report also provided a breakdown of formal action taken over the last 12 months, including enforcement notices and breach of condition notices¹. Four enforcement notices have been issued so far in 2025, two of which have been appealed. Six breach of condition notices (where there is no right of appeal) have been issued and an enforcement warning notice has been issued.

As of the meeting, officers are currently involved in one prosecution case, but no details were provided due to ongoing criminal proceedings.

The committee also reviewed enforcement appeal decisions received in the last 12 months for the following sites:

• Land to rear of Longfield, Poolhead Lane, Tanworth in-Arden: Appeal allowed.
• Coughton Lodge Farm Coughton: Dismissed, compliance due December 2025.
• Land Off Welsh Road (and to the north of dwelling known as Ironstone) Priors Hardwick: VARY Dismissed EN part Allowed.
• Marsh Farm, Stourton: Allowed.
• Holmes House, Bishops Itchington: Dismissed, compliance due January 2026.
• The English Barn Idlicote Estate Barns, Idlicote: Allowed.

There are currently six enforcement appeals in progress, being dealt with by written representations, except for one appeal which is being heard at a hearing in September 2025. The sites are:

• Parmar Manor, Stratford Road, Loxley
• Land at and adjacent to Woodview Binton
• Land to West of The Leys, Welsh Road Priors Hardwick
• Alne Park Park Lane Great Alne
• Land adj Tyburn Cottage, Hockley Heath
• Sheep Leys Covert Clifford Chambers

The committee was also informed that an application for a Judicial Review of a decision to decline to determine a planning application has been granted by the Courts.

A new temporary Senior Planner post was filled at the end of May 2025 to deal primarily with enforcement cases relating to non-compliance with Section 106 agreements² relating to public open space provision on major sites. Since the post was filled, the number of Section 106 related enforcement cases has increased to over 40.

The committee noted the report.

Environmental Health and Licensing Update

The committee received a report to update activities within the Environmental Health and Licensing teams and provide updates on the service plan progress.

Regarding food safety, the report indicated that the distribution of food hygiene ratings across the district is as follows:

• 84.1% of rated establishments are 5 – Very Good
• 95.6% of rated establishments are 4 or 5
• 98.9% of rated establishments are 3, 4 or 5
• 1.1% of rated establishments are 0-2 – Improvement/Major Improvement Required.

The Environmental Health Team continues to facilitate and Chair the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) for Stratford-on-Avon and hold monthly meetings with multiple event organisers to provide event safety advice and guidance. The team and wider SAG partners have reviewed documentation on several smaller events and road closure applications which have not required a full SAG meeting.

The Team also hosted a Countywide SAG meeting for the Tour of Britain – Men's 2025 which saw stage 4 of the race take place in Warwickshire staring at Atherstone in North Warwickshire and finishing at Burton Dassett Country Park in the district.

The team is currently investigating two major accidents and one fatal accident which occurred within the District, which has taken up a large amount of officer time.

The Air Quality Annual Status Report was submitted to DEFRA³ at the end of June. Air quality in the designated Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs)⁴ in Stratford-upon-Avon and Studley continues to improve in regard to Nitrogen Dioxide annual average exposure levels. Following DEFRA recommendations, a report has been drafted proposing the revocation of the AQMAs due to continuing compliance and approving the development of a District wide Air Quality Strategy.

The Environmental Protection Team has facilitated sampling at six private water supply sites. Two of the samples came back with failures which are being followed up by Officers.

The Licensing Team have a broad remit including, issuing, administering, advising on, and enforcing licences, consents, and registrations of several different types, under a wide variety of legislation.

The council is required to produce a Statement of Licensing Policy to enable it to issue licenses and enforce the provisions set out in the Licensing Act 2003⁵. The current policy will expire on 6 January 2026. A new draft policy was sent out for wider consultation over the summer and a report is being taken to the cabinet to approve the new policy in November.

Following an investigation by the licensing team and a report to the licensing panel, a driver was suspended.

Licensing hearings were held for license variations and new premises licenses as per the minutes of sub committees for licensing panel as part of the agenda of this meeting.

Environmental Health and Licensing have submitted their service plan for 2025/26. New corporate key performance indicators for service delivery have been developed as well as a range of service specific performance indicators.

The service plan also includes service tasks for delivery of the council plan and service related actions for the manager and senior officers.

The committee noted the contents of the report.

Licensing Panel Minutes

The committee noted the minutes from the Licensing Panels held on 25 June and 23 July 2025.

The 25 June 2025 meeting minutes included:

• An application to vary the premises licence in place for The Mount, 97 High Street, Henley-in-Arden was withdrawn.
• A renewal of a Private Hire Vehicle Licence for vehicle registration number L50 SDN for Mr S Nykamp was granted until 23 August 2026.

The 23 July 2025 meeting minutes included:

• A decision to suspend Mr X's Dual Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver's Licence for a period of three months.