onlineFOCUS – News and Stuff For Rochford District since 2003

When the council is considering specific licensing applications for gambling , it isn’t allowed to take moral objections into account.
BUT it can decide, every three years, that it simply doesn’t want to allow casinos in the district!  And that puts a total block on any applications.
The next three period is coming up. It’s very likely that the council  will continue with a policy of  not issuing  casino licenses. The decision will be made at next full council on Tuesday.

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As we are approaching the holiday season, perhaps we can sneak in a comedy video here, on what games you can offer if you can’t do actual gambling….. Warning: mild bad language.

December 16th, 2012 | Category: Licensing, YouTube and Video | Leave a comment

We’ve had a few people contact us about a licensing application from Asda in Priory Chase, Rayleigh. It is licensing application 12/00667/LAPREV and you can find it on the District Council website here.

The application is for :

Supply of Alcohol – Time period : Everyday, 06:00 to 00:00 (we assume this means until midnight)

and

Late Night Refreshments – Time period : Everyday, 23:00 to 00:00

As Ron is a member of the Licensing committee it wouldn’t be appropriate for us to write very much here. But – any thoughts from anyone?

28th October Update : here’s a photo of the notice outside Asda (click to enlarge)

October 27th, 2012 | Category: Asda or Makro, Licensing, Rayleigh | Comments (6)

Chris Black writes:

The District Council issues licenses for:

* the sale of alcohol, the provision of regulated entertainment and late night refreshment;
* betting, gaming and lotteries;
* making charitable collections;
* carrying out motor salvage operations or scrap metal dealing;
* street trading (including use of pavements) and for sex establishments.
* acupuncture, tattooing, semi-permanent skin colouring, cosmetic piercing and electrolysis
* operating animal boarding establishments, pet shops, riding establishments and zoos;
* for dog breeding and keeping dangerous wild animals

If you are interested in licensing issues, you can find out a bit more on this council page here.

If you wish to make a complaint about licensed premises, you can do it electronically, starting from this page here. The council website explains:

When you have found the premises, look for an application ending in ‘LAPRE’ as that is most likely to be the main licence number and click on ‘Click to view’ in the last column. The next page will have a field marked ‘Application enquiry’ at the top that, when clicked, opens an e-mail message form that is automatically addressed to the Licensing Unit.

Simply complete the message and send it to us. Please remember that because the e-mail is generated from our systems, it will not include the e-mail address of the person sending it – so please include your name, address, telephone number and email address so that we can contact you about your complaint.

In addition, whilst a complaint can be made anonymously, it may attract a lesser priority than one where we are able to communicate with the sender. Please be assured, any personal information given are subject to data protection.

August 24th, 2012 | Category: Licensing | Leave a comment

The District Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee sits next Thursday at 10 am to review the licenses currently held by Lords Golf Club, Hullbridge; the Travellers Joy Pub, Rayleigh; Chasers, in the Chase, Rayleigh ; and Select and Save in Rayleigh High Street.

You can find the agenda here

Regarding Lords Golf Club, the license is being reviewed at the request of Hullbridge Parish Council:

Premises History
2.20
Council records show that after the weekend of 28/29 May 2011 numerous complaints were received from local residents for loud music being heard from the premises into the early hours of the morning. Similar complaints were received from residents for the nights of 11 and 18 June 2011.
2.21
The complaints came from Wellington Avenue, South Avenue, Lower Road and Queen Ann’s Grove.
2.22
It would appear, from what the complainants are saying, that on each occasion an event was being held in the marquee that has been erected adjacent to the left hand side of the club house.

In the case of the Hungry Horse, the license is being reviewed at the request of the police :

3 APPLICATION
3.1 The application is made in accordance with section 51 of the Licensing Act
2003 on the grounds of the licensing objectives relating to prevention of crime
and disorder arising from a drugs warrant under the misuse of drugs act 1971
being executed at the premises on 15 July 2011. As a result two persons
were arrested for possession of suspected class A drugs.

In the case of Chasers:

3 APPLICATION
3.1 The application is made in accordance with section 51 of the Licensing Act 2003 on the grounds of the licensing objectives relating to the protection of children from harm arising from an underage sale on 20 July 2011 when, without challenge, a 15 year old female tester was sold a 4% alcohol bottle of WKD Vodka.

The same wording applies to Select and Save

3 APPLICATION
3.1 The application is made in accordance with section 51 of the Licensing Act 2003 on the grounds of the licensing objectives relating to the protection of children from harm arising from an underage sale on 20 July 2011 when, without challenge, a 15 year old female tester was sold a bottle of 4% alcohol WKD Vodka.

September 4th, 2011 | Category: Hullbridge, Licensing, Rayleigh | Comments (2)

The District Council website shows a “Notice of Application for Review of Premises Licence” for two places – the Travellers Joy pub in Rayleigh, and Lords Golf Club.

LICENSING ACT 2003
Notice of Application for Review of Premises Licence – Section 51
The Licensing Authority, Rochford District Council, hereby gives notice of an application for review of a Premises Licence in respect of
Travellers Joy, Downhall Road, Rayleigh, Essex, SS6 9JF.
The grounds of the application for review are that the premises are failing to promote the licensing objectives of the prevention of crime and disorder and the prevention of public nuisance. The review will consider allegations of crime and disorder in relation to drug issues as well as a number of incidents associated with public nuisance.
Interested Parties or Responsible Authorities may make representations to the Licensing Authority (Rochford District Council). All such representations shall be made in writing, between the date of this notice and 14 August 2011.
Representations should be sent to the Licensing Unit, Rochford District Council, 3 – 19 South Street, Rochford, SS4 1BW.
A record of the licence, the grounds for the application for reviewing it and the statutory register of the licensing authority, may be inspected at the Council’s office address given above, between 0900hrs & 1600hrs Monday – Friday at the address below, or on the Authority’s website at: www.rochford.gov.uk/
(http://www.rochford.gov.uk/business__licensing/licensing/alcohol_and_entertainment/reviews_of_licenses.aspx)
It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with an application and the maximum fine for which a person is liable on summary conviction is £5000.
Dated 18 July 2011

LICENSING ACT 2003
Notice of Application for Review of Premises Licence – Section 51
The Licensing Authority, Rochford District Council, hereby gives notice of an application for review of a Premises Licence in respect of
Lords Golf and Country Club, Hullbridge Road, Rayleigh, Essex, SS6 9QS.
The grounds of the application for review are that the premises are failing to promote the licensing objective of the prevention of public nuisance. The review will consider allegations of loud music emanating from the premises and accompanying noise nuisance.
Interested Parties or Responsible Authorities may make representations to the Licensing Authority (Rochford District Council). All such representations shall be made in writing, between the date of this notice and 14 August 2011.
Representations should be sent to the Licensing Unit, Rochford District Council, 3 – 19 South Street, Rochford, SS4 1BW.
A record of the licence, the grounds for the application for reviewing it and the statutory register of the licensing authority, may be inspected at the Council’s office address given above, between 0900hrs & 1600hrs Monday – Friday at the address below, or on the Authority’s website at: www.rochford.gov.uk/
(http://www.rochford.gov.uk/business__licensing/licensing/alcohol_and_entertainment/reviews_of_licenses.aspx)
It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with an application and the maximum fine for which a person is liable on summary conviction is £5000.
Dated 18 July 2011

Comments are closed on this. If you have any questions on this, contact the council or email us.

July 22nd, 2011 | Category: Crime & Policing, Hullbridge, Leisure and Sport, Licensing, Noise and Pollution, Rayleigh | Leave a comment

The District Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee meets on June 11th at 10 am at the Civic Suite in Rayleigh.

It will consider :

…..the report of the Head of Environmental Services which asks Members to consider an application for a review of a premises licence with respect to Rochford Premier Stores, North Street, Rochford, SS4 1AA.

There’s a little bit more information on the council website here.

June 2nd, 2010 | Category: Licensing, Retail, Rochford | Comments (3)

The Rayleigh Kebab House has applied to alter its premises license so it can stay open an extra house on Friday and Saturday nights – from 0230 hrs to 0330 hrs (on the following morning)

December 12th, 2009 | Category: Licensing, Rayleigh | Leave a comment

See the District Council’s article here on under-age sales of alcohol at The Local, 132 London Road Rayleigh and The Local, 1 Broad Parade, Hockley.

October 31st, 2009 | Category: Hockley, Licensing, Rayleigh, Retail | Leave a comment

If you are a fan of EastEnders you’ll know that Peggy Mitchell is standing for the council there- as an independent. (Click here for the lastest trailer).

This has prompted Norfolk Lib Dem Nic Starling to write a piece about the inaccuracies in how the show is covering this. For example, the Walford election is going to be on a Monday, yet all real-life elections are on a Thursday. Why have the scriptwriters got it wrong? Nic concludes:

…. Perhaps though the most common gaffe in TV is the belief that a public meeting is still the centrepiece and deciding factor in any election campaign.

Tonight’s episode of Eastenders featured a public meeting of candidates which was attended by all of 20 people yet Peggy’s performance was enough, in front of only a handful of people, to make people think that she was set to win ? Public meetings might have been decisive in the period up to the 1960′s, but I have yet to go to one that has made any difference to a campaign.

And what of Walford East ? How big would the ward be ? 3000 houses ? More ? Yet no mention is made of canvassing or delivering leaflets. A leaflet was shown in one episode but it was like something from the 1950s and nothing like leaflets 90% of people get through there doors at election time. So it begs the question why one landlady in one pub would be so well known outside of Albert Square. Clearly the Eastenders producers think that local council wards are made up of 50 houses only.

Being a councillor in the real-life version of Walford is a much tougher job than in places like Rochford. And it’s certainly something special to represent rural places like, say, Paglesham or Barling. On a day like last Sunday, to be out delivering Focus leaflets in the March sunshine…. daffodils, birdsong, blues skies, green fields, horses, babies, home made jam for sale… perfect!

March 17th, 2009 | Category: Licensing, Local Facilities, No Category | Leave a comment

From the Evening Standard this week

PUBS are being told to “spy” on customers with CCTV, it emerged today.

Pub owners who have applied for a licence both in Islington and Richmond have been warned that they must first install cameras.

Publicans also have to promise to hand over to the police any footage requested. Experts said that the plan raises “serious privacy concerns” but police claim it will help to fight crime.

David Smith, the deputy information commissioner, said: “Installing surveillance in pubs to combat specific problems of rowdiness and bad behaviour may be lawful, but blanket measures where there is no history of criminal activity is likely to breach data protection requirements.”

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “Boroughs may impose blanket rules to prevent crime and disorder.”

Other forces are adopting similar tactics. Martin Reed, a licensing officer for Essex Police, said that the force asks every licensed premises in the county which is open after 11pm to have cameras to take head shots of customers entering the building.

February 20th, 2009 | Category: Essex & East, Licensing | Comments (4)

For ease of finding it’s worth repeating what the District Council helpfully told us in a comment on Thursday:

As a result of the objections received in respect of this application, a Licensing Hearing is to take place at 10AM on 03/02/2009 at the Civic Suite in Rayleigh.

January 9th, 2009 | Category: Asda or Makro, Licensing, Rawreth, Rayleigh | Leave a comment