The Licensing and Safety Committee of Bracknell Forest Council convened on 20 June 2024 to review the annual report and discuss various licensing and safety issues. Key topics included the role and activities of the Public Protection Partnership, licensing trends, and emerging issues within the licensing remit.

Annual Report of the Licensing and Safety Committee

Julia O’Brien, Licensing Manager, presented an overview of the Licensing & Safety Committee Annual Report 2023/24. The report highlighted several areas of work undertaken by the Public Protection Partnership, including:

• Role of the Public Protection Partnership: The partnership's responsibilities and its impact on the community.
• Licensing Numbers and Trends: An analysis of licensing activities over the past year.
• Emerging Issues: New challenges and areas of focus within the licensing remit.

In response to questions, it was noted that another team within the Public Protection Partnership administered caravan parks, and this information could be shared with members upon request. The enforcement regime would operate on a risk-rated basis, similar to food hygiene inspections, covering all licensed premises.

Environmental and Safety Initiatives

Members discussed potential steps to encourage licensed premises to adopt environmentally friendly practices, such as reducing single-use plastics. However, it was noted that the Public Protection Partnership's limited resources must focus on core duties.

Collaboration with Thames Valley Police

Licensing officers regularly meet with Thames Valley Police to address issues such as violence against women and girls and drink spiking prevention. Licensing officers are also members of Pub Watch, which has been considering drink spiking for some time. Members were reassured that no specific complaints regarding drink spiking had been received in Bracknell Forest.

Housing and HMOs

The committee discussed the ongoing efforts to identify and regulate Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs). Residents were encouraged to report any potential unregistered HMOs to the Public Protection Partnership for investigation.

Temporary Event Notices

Licensing officers take a light-touch approach to Temporary Event Notices, which are primarily for seasonal community events like school fetes and summer fairs.

Town Centre Events

It was clarified that events in the town centre are not managed by the Public Protection Partnership but should be addressed with the landowner, either the Council or the Lexicon.

The committee approved the Annual Report 2023/24 as set out in Appendix A.