Licensing and Safety Committee

(Meetings are usually open to the public)

Terms of Reference

  Subject to the Scheme of Delegation to officers and other provisions set out in Part 3 of the Constitution, the Committee is empowered:

·                To issue, as appropriate, licences, permits and consents and to grant registrations, imposing any conditions, limitations or other restrictions on such approvals, consents, licences, permissions or registrations.

·                To determine whether, and in what manner, to enforce any failure to comply with, or any other contravention of, any approval, consent, licence, permission, registration granted or any condition, limitation or term of such approval, consent, licence, permission or registration.

·                To determine, where there is such discretion, whether a charge should be made for any approval, consent, licence, permit or registration granted and after receipt of guidance from the Borough Finance Officer to determine the amount of the charge.

It is also responsible for:

Hackney Carriages and Private Hire Vehicles

  The licensing of hackney carriages and private hire vehicles, the licensing of drivers of hackney carriages and private hire vehicles and the licensing of operators of hackney carriages and private hire vehicles.

Gaming and Lotteries

  The registration of pool promoters, the granting of track betting licences, the licensing of inter-track betting schemes, the grant of permits in respect of premises with amusement machines, the grant of permits in respect of premises where amusements with prizes are provided, and the registration of societies wishing to promote lotteries and the licensing of persons to collect for charitable and other causes.

Entertainments

  The issue of cinema, cinema club, theatre and entertainments licences and the licensing of sex shops and sex cinemas; the licensing of performances of hypnotism and the licensing of premises for acupuncture, tattooing, ear-piercing and electrolysis; the issue, amendment or replacement of safety certificates (whether general or special) for sports grounds and the issue, cancellation, amendment or replacement of safety certificates for regulated stands at sports grounds; and the licensing of pleasure boats and pleasure vessels.

Animals

  The licensing of premises for the breeding of dogs and the licensing of pet shops and other establishments where animals are bred or kept for the purposes of carrying on a business; the licensing of zoos, the licensing of dangerous wild animals and the registration of animal trainers and exhibitors; the issue of licences for the movement of pigs, the licensing of the sale of pigs and collecting centres for the movement of pigs, the issue of licences to move cattle from a market and the licensing of knackers' yards.

Food

  The registration of food business premises and the registration and licensing of premises for the preparation of food; the licensing of night cafes and take-away food shops; the issue of licences to retail butchers' shops carrying out commercial operations in relation to unwrapped raw meat and selling or supplying both raw meat and ready-to-eat foods and the approval of meat product premises and of premises for the production of minced meat or meat preparations; the approval of dairy establishments and egg product establishments; the licensing of dealers in game and the killing and selling of game; and the approval of fish products premises, dispatch and purification centres.

Services

  The licensing of market and street trading and the registration of auction and wholesale markets; the licensing of agencies for the supply of nurses; and the licensing of scrap yards.

Miscellaneous

  The issue of licences authorising the use of land as a caravan site (site licences ) and the licensing of the use of moveable dwellings and of camping sites; the grant of consents for the operation of a loudspeaker; the sanction of use of parts of buildings for the storage of celluloid; the issue of fire certificates.   Responsibility for the functions under any of the relevant statutory provisions within the meaning of Part I (health, safety and welfare in connection with work, and control of dangerous substances) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, to the extent that those functions are discharged otherwise than in the authority's capacity as an employer.

·                Responsibility for the discharge of any function relating to contaminated land.  

·                Responsibility for the discharge of any function relating to the control of pollution and the management of air quality.  

·                Responsibility for the following functions under the Berkshire Act 1986, as indicated in relevant sections of the Act:  

·                the prohibition of parking in front gardens (section 14);  

·                the extension of powers to provide public conveniences (section 18)  

·                the registration of hairdressers and barbers (section 19);  

·                the control of dust from building operations (section 21);  

·                the escape of gas, fumes etc from chimneys (section 22);  

·                defective electrical installations (section 39);  

·                fire alarm systems (section 40); and  

·                stacks of inflammable substances (section 43).