To receive apologies for absence (to include reasons, where appropriate) from

Members / Officers.

None

To receive Declarations of personal and prejudicial interest (if any) from members/ officers in accordance with the provisions of the Members Code of Conduct adopted by Council from the 1st September 2008.

None

The Licensing and Registration Officer presented a report regarding an application made by Maesteg Charcoal Grill Ltd for a new Premises Licence for the above mentioned premises. The premises was described as a hot food takeaway, with the application seeking to licence the ground floor of the building.

She advised Members that just prior to the meeting, the Licensing Section had received a phone call from the Solicitors acting on behalf of the applicant Maesteg Charcoal Grill Ltd, requesting that the meeting be adjourned, due to the fact that the Solicitor due to attend the Hearing Mr Bob Shawe, was now unable to attend due to him being unwell. The Solicitors had further requested that a new date be set for the Hearing due to his absence. The Licensing and Registration Officer added that this phone call had been supplemented by a letter that had been faxed to the Licensing Section not long after the telephone conversation had taken place.

The Chairperson asked Mr Hasan, who was present acting on behalf of the applicant, if he had been aware prior to the meeting that Mr Shawe was unable to attend the meeting due to illness.

Mr Hasan replied that he had not been aware of Mr Shawe’s non-attendance due to illness until just prior to the meeting. He added however, that as he could not speak English, and even though he had an interpreter present at today’s meeting, he would not wish the Hearing to proceed without legal representation acting on behalf of the Company.

The Legal Officer suggested to Members that perhaps they should consider a short adjournment in order to contact King Davies and Partners in order to try and establish how long Mr Shawe was likely to be ill, and why the Company had not sent a replacement Solicitor to act on behalf of the applicant in Mr Shawe’s absence.

The Chairperson agreed that the meeting stand adjourned for 10 minutes for this purpose.

Upon the meeting reconvening, the Licensing and Registration Officer advised that the Solicitor’s had informed her that Mr Shawe had been taken ill last night and an alternative Solicitor was unable to attend the meeting as there was no one else available only a Conveyancer, and even if there were, they would not know the background to the application as Mr Shawe had taken the file home with him to prepare his submission before today’s meeting.

The Chairperson then asked the Police representatives what observations they had in relation to the request for an adjournment.

PC Ellis advised the Sub-Committee that there had been a number of letters and emails exchanged between Mr Shawe on behalf of the applicant, and the South Wales Police, and that they felt the meeting should proceed in his absence, particularly as this particular application had been deferred previously by a Licensing Sub-Committee for the same reason ie Mr Shawe’s non-attendance.

The Legal Officer confirmed that deferment would only be of detriment to the applicant, as obviously  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.