Memorandum from Luminar plc and Luminar
Leisure Ltd (RL 07)
This representation is from Luminar plc and
Luminar Leisure Limited. Luminar are the largest operator of late
night licensed entertainment venues in England and Wales.
Our application process has been for:
|
| Licence conversion—operating premises
| 5 |
| Licence conversion—closed premises |
12 |
| Licence conversion and variation—operating premises
| 220 |
| New Premises Licence | 15 |
| Personal Licences | 735 |
| |
Our total expenditure to complete the process for this company,
including licence fees and solicitors fees will be in the region
of £450,000.
I made previous representations for the evidence sessions
on—The Evening Economy and the Urban Renaissance—March
2005; this addressed the opportunities which the Licensing Act
2003 offered and those that were missed. I do not revisit those
points.
The late arrival of the Guidance Notes for the Act from the
DCMS would have created difficulties for each local authority
in producing their licensing policies. Our receipt of these and
the even later finalisation of the forms for application did mean
that the necessary preparation by this company for the conversion
and variation process had to be on an emergency and priority status.
However, our preparation was most thorough and proved most
effective.
Throughout we worked hand-in-hand with our solicitors, Poppleston
Allen—a licensing specialist practise: their advice and
co-operation was of the highest value.
For each unit manager we produced an application pack (relating
to hours, conditions and changes) and an easy to use—easy
to prepare operating schedule pack which took account of existing
licences and application conditions.
[Our market sector is used to a high level of measures and
conditions which take account of the fact our venues are often
large, offer public entertainment and trade later at night. These
assume customer safety and acceptable impact upon the community.
As we felt this is appropriate for all such venues including those
now applying for variation to their licences we included almost
all of these measures and conditions in our new Operating Schedules.]
The packs were presented to each manager at a series of workshops.
Our aim was that our managers (the Designated Premises Supervisors
and Personal Licence holders under the new scheme) understood
the new Act fully in its entirety and the application process
fully.
We advised consultation with representative authorities and
requests for variations which met realistic commercial needs whilst
taking full account of the four Licensing Objectives and the potential
impact upon our neighbours, businesses and residential, and the
community. Each potential application was reviewed and finalised
by senior management prior to submission to our solicitors.
Our applications, taking into account "grandfather rights"
were submitted on a phased basis during June/July, although inevitably
there was the last week bulge.
The benefit of the consultation was that all of our conversions
proceeded without police representation and that the majority
of our variations also attracted no representations or objections.
Approximately 85 applications for variation received representations
or objections. The liaison process offered in the Act were utilised
fully and three quarters of these were resolved prior to any hearing.
Our applications going to hearing were around 20: this was
below our expectations. The hearings were for the most part relatively
informal and constructive to all parties. I am sure that all representative
bodies and objectors—often residents—felt that their
views were fairly considered. We were most satisfied with our
outcomes.
Luminar has 10 minor issues outstanding (at 17 October 2005)
and is confident these will all be resolved by the Second Appointed
Day.
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