The General Purposes and Licensing Committee of Bromley Council met on Monday 27 September 2010, approving new policies for sex establishments and animal welfare licences. The committee also noted the external auditor's report on the 2009/10 financial statements and reviewed various sub-committee minutes.

Audit of Financial Statements 2009/10

The committee considered a report detailing the conclusions and significant issues arising from the audit of the 2009/10 accounts. Mr Stuart Brown and Ms Janet Dawson from PricewaterhouseCoopers attended the meeting and confirmed the report's findings. The committee resolved to note the external auditor's report and authorised the Chairman to sign the letter of representation for 2009/10 on behalf of the Council.

Licensing of Sex Establishments

A policy for determining the number of sex establishments in the 'relevant locality', along with standard licensing conditions and fees, was approved. This policy had been previously recommended to Council by the General Purposes and Licensing Committee on 28th July 2010, relating to the Licensing of Sex Entertainment Venues under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982, as amended by section 27 of the Policing and Crime Act 2009. A member noted that the legal information in the report needed updating to reflect the amendments to the 1982 Act. Councillor Simon Fawthrop inquired about legislative changes since 1982, and the Head of Food Safety, Occupational Safety and Licensing confirmed that the most recent legislation was similar to that in effect in 1982. The committee resolved to approve the policy, standard licensing conditions, and fees, and referred the matter to the Executive and Full Council for adoption from 1 January 2011.

Revised Standard Conditions for Animal Welfare Licences

The committee considered a report seeking approval for revised standard conditions for animal welfare licences, effective from 1 January 2011. A member raised a question about whether Christmas Tree Farm, which sells animals, would need to comply with these conditions. The Head of Food Safety, Occupational Safety and Licensing confirmed that the farm held a licence and would be subject to these standard conditions. The committee resolved to approve the standard conditions and guidance for various animal-related licences, including riding establishments, pet shops, dangerous wild animals, animal boarding establishments (home boarding, cats, and dogs), and breeding establishments. This matter was also referred to the Executive and Full Council for approval and adoption from 1 January 2011.

Licensing Act 2003 - Applications Data

The committee noted a report outlining the number of applications made, granted, and refused under the Licensing Act 2003 between April 2009 and March 2010. This information had been requested by Councillor Nicholas Bennett at a previous meeting on 14th July 2010.

Sub-Committee Minutes

The committee noted the minutes from several sub-committee meetings:

• Audit Sub-Committee meeting held on 10 June 2010 (excluding exempt information).
• Rights of Way Sub-Committee meeting held on 1 September 2010, with a note that updated minutes were available on the Bromley Council website.
• Appeals Sub-Committee meetings held on 26 July 2010 and 2 September 2010 (excluding exempt information).

Exempt Business

The committee resolved to exclude the press and public from discussions concerning exempt information, as per the Local Government Act 1972. This included the exempt minutes from the Audit Sub-Committee meeting on 10 June 2010 and the Appeals Sub-Committee meetings on 26 July 2010 and 2 September 2010. For the Appeals Sub-Committee meeting on 2 September 2010, it was further resolved that the committee would receive a report at its next meeting addressing concerns previously raised by members.

Councillor Nicholas Bennett J.P. is the Portfolio Holder for Transport, Highways & Road Safety. Councillor Simon Fawthrop is the Chairman of the Executive, Resources & Contracts PDS Committee and Vice-Chairman of the Development Control Committee. Councillor Tony Owen is the Chairman of the Renewal, Recreation & Housing PDS Committee and Vice-Chairman of the Plans Sub-Committee No. 2. Councillor Robert Evans is the Vice-Chairman of the Audit & Risk Management Committee. Councillor Pauline Tunnicliffe is the Chairman of the General Purposes & Licensing Committee. Councillor Diane Smith is the Portfolio Holder for Adult Care and Health. Councillor Tim Stevens J.P. is a member of the committee. Councillor Charles Rideout CVO is a member of the committee. Councillor Nicholas Bennett J.P. is a member of the committee. Councillor John Canvin is a member of the committee. Councillor Roger Charsley is a member of the committee. Councillor Roxy Fawthrop is a member of the committee. Councillor John Getgood is a member of the committee. Councillor Will Harmer is a member of the committee. Councillor Ian F. Payne is a member of the committee. Councillor Michael Turner is a member of the committee. Councillor Stephen Wells is a member of the committee.

The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that, among other things, provides powers for local authorities to regulate certain activities, including the licensing of sex establishments. The Policing and Crime Act 2009 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that introduced various measures relating to policing and the criminal justice system, including amendments to legislation concerning sex entertainment venues. The Licensing Act 2003 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that governs the licensing of premises that sell alcohol, provide entertainment, or provide late-night refreshment. The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales, establishing the system of county and district councils and setting out their powers and responsibilities. The Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000 are pieces of legislation that relate to public access to information held by local authorities.