Agenda and minutes

Chair to report.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 The Corporate and Community Services Officer outlined the virtual meeting procedure and etiquette to the Committee and attendees.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Campbell, Cann and Orange.

There were no declarations of interest announced.

Presentation by Head of Environmental Health and Housing.

The Head of Environmental Health and Housing gave the Committee an update on the impact of Covid-19 on the community as follows:

·         The community assessment impact report (circulated previously) gave an insight into the work carried out by Officers during the Covid-19 crisis as well as the work carried out to help businesses with their re-commencement of activities and in particular highlighted the re-opening of the hospitality trade on 4^th July 2020

·         As a result of the hospitality trade recommencing its business more than a 1000 food businesses had started to re-trade, 700 of which were licensed

·         400 hotels had re-opened and 150 campsites had recommenced business

·         The report was broken down into four areas, Social impacts, health impacts, Wider economy impacts and environmental impacts

·         Central Government had devolved management of local outbreaks of Covid-19 to local authorities, with Devon County Council being the Health authority of Devon

·         A newly created Health Protection Board had been set up which was responsible for putting into place actions mitigating against any local outbreaks of Covid-19

·         Local businesses would receive cards with measures that could be taken to help limit the spread of Covid-19 and as a local authority our role would be to help support businesses to put those measures into practice

·         There had been an increased level of support given to businesses by Officers in the regulatory services helping business to adapt and giving advice

·         Officers had to be prepared to adapt to different behaviours, as witnessed at Bournemouth when large numbers of people visited the beach, so that appropriate actions could be taken to mitigate situations

In response to a question requesting clarification of the role the local authority was to play in the management of out breaks of Covid-19.  The Head of Environmental Health and Housing advised that the responsibility for this management was at County level so if there was an outbreak at a hospital for example Devon County Council would manage this.  If there was an outbreak in a shared house or a campsite then North Devon Council would take on the role of managing the outbreak of Covid-19 cases.

In response to the news that face masks were to be made mandatory to wear in shops and who was going to enforce this.  The Head of Housing and Environmental Health explained that the Communications team would cascade out the message to wear a mask but that it was for the Police to enforce.  There was to be a meeting of the Health Protection Board later that day and further updates or information would be fed back to Committee members.

In response to a concern over how the already stretched Police authority were to cope with the task of enforcing the wearing of face masks the Head of Environmental Health and Housing advised that he suspected the Police would deploy their services in areas where the greater risk of harm lay and that he would take a closer look at the guidance to provide notes to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29.

Presentation by Public Protection Manager.

The Public Protection Manager gave a presentation on the new Business and Planning 2020 Bill as follows:

·         The Business and Planning Bill 2020 could become law on 20^th July 2020, two elements within the Bill were alcohol licensing and pavement licensing and this was the focus of the presentation

·         The Bill made provision for the promotion of economic recovery and growth

·         The Alcohol Licensing changes would see the authorisation for ‘off-sales’ applicable to all premises licences where currently only ‘on-sales’ were made, the one exception would be clubs

·         This extended provision would apply as long as no disqualifying event had occurred in relation to the licence with the last three years

·         A disqualifying event could  be one of three things; the licensing authority had refused to grant a premises licence authorising ‘off-sales’, the authority had refused to vary the premises licence so as to authorise ‘off-sales’ and the licence was varied or modified so as to exclude ‘off-sales’

·         Conditions already in place on a premises licence would have those conditions temporarily suspended

·         Any responsible authority would now be able to request a summary review of ‘off-sales’ where it was relevant to the licensing objectives.  A review would only be able to consider the permission for ‘off-sales’, and no other conditions on the licence may be revoked under this review

·         A right of appeal on decisions made under a review was allowable

·         These changes would only be temporary and would automatically expire on 30 September 2021

Over a concern raised that this amendment to allow ‘off-sales’ could encourage drinking in public places the Public Health Protection Manager explained that the Pavement Licensing provisions went some way toward alleviating this concern.  Areas that were pedestrianised were covered under the provision.  An ‘off-sales’ review could look into the situation and offer mitigating actions to be taken.  North Devon Council needed to ensure clear guidance was available to avoid any uncertainty on what was appropriate behaviour, for example the types of vessels used such as polycarbonate not glass.

In response to a question about what would happen in those towns that currently had alcohol free zones in place.  The Public Health Protection Manager replied that under Section 115E of the Highways Act 1980 you would be exempt from creating an offence, however this appeared to have been missed out of the new provisions and clarification had been sought from the Local Government Association on this omission.  Police would have to make local decisions under the new policy on whether they would take enforcement action.  It was hoped that an amendment would be made to the Bill before approved.  In essence if there was a nuisance being created as a result of consumption of alcohol then those causing the nuisance could be asked to surrender their alcohol by a Police officer.  As well as part of the application pack the licensed premises would have a poster to display to give the guidance to customers advising that alcohol could be requested to be surrendered if  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30.

The Community Protection Officer gave the Committee a presentation on the community safety work undertaken during the Covid-19 crisis.  The following points were taken from the presentation given:

In response to a question about the effectiveness of the non-emergency phone line to report crime to the Police the Community Partnership Safety Officer advised that reporting crime online was an alternative to the busy 101 number.

In response to a question about other areas needing extra support the Community Partnership Safety Officer replied that Croyde and Woolacombe had come out on top for the need for extra resources and that in the event of a downturn in activity the Marshalls could be used elsewhere, working alongside the Police.

To consider and adopt the minutes of the following meeting: