LICENSING COMMITTEE AGENDA - Hartlepool Borough Council

Licensing Committ ee - Minutes and Decision Rec ord – 12 April 2006 3.1
for Members information) indic ating “that details w ere yet to be finalised”.
Mr Catterall considered that w ithout any spec ific details and a definitive
timetable this w as a diversion that s hould be ignored and should only be an
issue affecting Mr Masterman’s business should any formal proposals ac tually
arise from the Highw ays Agency.
In response to Me mbers questions Mr Masterman indicated that should any
formal proposal come forw ard form the Highw ays Agency he w ould object.
He had been operating in the lay-buy for over tw enty y ears and his bus iness
had not caused any problems . If it had the Polic e, w ho w ere regular
customers, w ould hav e done s omething about it.
Me mbers expressed conc ern that the Highw ays Agency had referred to the
potent ial grant ing of a licenc e f or Mr Mast er man as an “ unnecessary
complication”. Me mbers w ere concerned that the Highw ays Agency w as in
effect as king the Council to do its job despite the fact they had been as ked if
they had any firm propos als and indic ated that they did not. Members also
queried if there had been any acc idents in the access road and w ere informed
that ther e had not been.
PC Mick Beard addressed the Committee as an objector to the applic ation.
PC Beard stated that follow ing the reporting of various activ ities in the access
road he had contacted the Highw ays Agency w ith a view to a restriction being
implemented that w ould limit parking. The Highw ays Agency indicated that
they spent four days each y ear c leaning the area of the acc ess road and
collected s ignificant amounts of drug paraphernalia including syringes.
Residents of the nearby bungalow had complained of the problems of people
in the w oods connected w ith the v arious illegal activities in the acc ess road.
PC Beard indic ated that discussion had been held on clos ing the lay-by
altogether but it provided acc ess to the farm and the bungalow and therefore
needed to remain open. An alternative had been agreed in princ iple w ith the
Highw ays Agency w hich w ould introduce bollards in the acc ess road reducing
it to a single lane thus preventing parking. PC Beard stated, in res pons e to
Me mbers questions, that he w as not say ing that Mr Mas terman’s bus iness
contributed to the problems in the acc ess road. The proposals w ould,
how ever, hav e a knoc k on ef f ect to his business.
Me mbers expressed their concern that the Highw ays Agency had chosen not
to attend the meeting despite indicating their objection to the applic ation.
Me mbers w ere also c oncerned that if there w ere i legal activities taking place
in the acc ess road, they s hould be addressed by the Polic e. Also the Police
had not taken any st eps t o move Mr Master man on f rom the acc ess r oad.
In res ponse to further Me mbers questions PC Beard commented that there
had been no prosecutions from any ac tivities in the acc ess road. The Police
had, how ever, iss ued w arnings to a number of motorists . The Police
monitored the area w hen they c ould but this w as not the only loc ation w here
these ac tivities occurred.
06.04. 12 - Licensi ng Cttee Minut es and D ecision R ecord
3 Hartlepool Bor ough Council