Agenda and minutes

Councillor Massey was appointed as Chair for the meeting. 

No declarations of interest were made.

All parties noted the procedure.

The Licensing Enforcement Officer presented the report and outlined the application.

In response to members’ questions the Licensing Enforcement Officer made the following points:

      i.         Confirmed the Police had made no objections to the application.

    ii.         Believed the application was not in a cumulative impact area.

The Applicant’s Agent) advised the area in which the application was requesting where customers consumed their products was not in the cumulative impact zone. But the area where customers boarded Ruthfords punts was in the tip of the cumulative impact zone.

One of the members of the public questioned the cumulative impact area and stated the application would have a detrimental impact on the residential apartments that faced directly on to the river.

Applicants presentation.

In response to the questions raised to the application the Applicant and Agent said the following:

      i.         Confirmed that customers were informed they could not take their drink off the punt; typically, drinks were left on the punt unfinished.

    ii.         Historically alcohol had only been offered on Champagne tours, this was limited to one glass of champagne per person. 

   iii.         There was no application to vary the licensing hours, this would remain as it currently stood.

  iv.         Most sales would come from the punt tours, but the application was also a way to ‘future proof’ the company. 

    v.         The price point of the produce being sold was a key factor to the application. A bottle of wine would cost £30 and therefore felt there would be no bulk purchases.

  vi.         Alcohol products were stored away from the site not at the punt station. Orders would be taken and brought to site from the storage unit by a bespoke cycle.

 vii.         A typical customer was a visitor to Cambridge who had incorporated a punt tour as part of their trip before moving on to another experience in the City.

viii.         The current hours were from 09:00 to 21:00; this would allow the licence holder a degree of flexibility should there be a request for an early morning punt.

  ix.         By not changing the licensing times this would allow internet sales to be met from taking the orders from storage to delivery.

    x.         There was a legal duty not to sell alcohol to an individual(s) who were intoxicated.

Other Persons

A member of the public made the following points in addition to their written representation.

      i.         Made no objection to the type to the type of sale that the Applicant had spoken of.  Was concerned there was a cumulative impact on individuals drinking around Jesus Green.

    ii.         People would view those drinking champagne whilst waiting to use the punts on Jesus Green, (close to residential properties) and this could encourage ‘drinking parties’ in the area due to the activities of the punting stations.

   iii.         There were several restaurants, bars and outlets which sold alcohol in the area already which the application would add to.

  iv.         Felt there was no control by the City Council to prevent the anti-social behaviour that occurred  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21/8/Lic