The Sub-committee will elect a Chairman for the Meeting.

It was unanimously RESOLVED that Councillor J Henderson be elected as Chairman for the meeting.

The Committee is asked to note any apologies for absence and substitutions received from Members.

There were no apologies or substitutions on this occasion.

To confirm and sign as a correct record, the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee, held on 20 February 2025.

It was RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Sub-Committee held on Thursday, 20 February 2025, be approved as a correct record and be signed by the Chairman.

Councillors are invited to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests, Other Registerable Interests of Non-Registerable Interests, and the nature of it, in relation to any item on the agenda.

Councillor Wiggins declared for the public record that she held a personal licence, but that it had no bearing on her capacity to be a member of this Sub-Committee.

To provide information in order that the Sub-Committee can determine the application for a review of the premises licence.

The Sub-Committee was informed that under Section 51 of the Licencing Act 2003 Tendring District Council Licencing Authority being a Responsible Authority, had applied for a Review of the Premises Licence held by Mr Suresh Theivendram in respect of the premises known as 139 Old Road, Clacton on Sea, CO15 3AT (Licence No. 19/00055/PREMVA). The full review was set out in Appendix A to the Officer report (A.1).

Members heard that Mr Suresh Theivendram had been the Premises Licence holder since the licence was transferred to him in May 2014, and that he had been the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) since that date. Details of the current licence subject to the review were set out in the report and were repeated below:-

Premises

139 Old Road, Clacton on Sea, Essex, CO15 3AT

Licence Number

19/00055/PREMVA

Premises Licence Holder

Mr Suresh Theivendram

Designated Premises Supervisor

Mr Suresh Theivendram

Current Opening Hours

Every Day                   00:00 – 00:00

Current Licensable Activities

The current licensable activities permitted by the Premises Licence are:-

Sale of Alcohol off the premises

Every Day                   00:00 – 00:00

The Sub-Committee heard that an application for the Review of the Premises Licence for 139 Old Road, Clacton on Sea, Essex had been submitted by the Responsible Authority – Tendring District Council Licensing Authority. This had been received on the 27 January 2025 on the grounds that the licensing objectives in respect of the Prevention of Crime and Disorder and Public Safety had been breached.

It was reported that this premises had been granted a premises licence under the Licensing Act 2003 by Tendring District Council authorising the sale of alcohol off the premises 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The premises was operating as a convenience store/off licence.

Members heard that the premises licence holder and designated premises supervisor was Mr Suresh Thievendram; this person was a personal licence holder, reference number TDX1149, issued by Tendring District Council on 7 September 2009.

It was reported that Tendring District Council’s Licensing Enforcement Officer and Licensing Manager, alongside Essex Police have conducted numerous visits to 139 Old Road, CO15 3AT since September 2024 where numerous breaches of the licensing conditions had been identified on each occasion.

The Sub-Committee was made aware that the licence holder/designated premises supervisor, Mr Suresh Theivendram, had been given ample opportunity and time since the first inspection and had been made conscious of the repeated breaches after each inspection had taken place. However, despite copious amounts of advice being given on numerous occasions, they had continued to undermine two core licencing objectives: the prevention of crime and disorder and public safety.

Full details of the representations from Essex Police and Essex County Council Trading Standards as responsible authorities were set out in Appendix B.

In view of the fact that the Licensing Authority in this case was both the administering authority, including for this hearing, and a responsible authority that had submitted representations there had been a division of responsibility amongst relevant staff such that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 51.