Issue - meetings

Report of the Cabinet Member Development and Safety

RESOLVED THAT

1.    Note the proposed changes to the Statement of Principles and consultation responses be noted;

2.    Council be recommended to approve the policy statement.

The Cabinet Member Development and Safety introduced the report and explained that the Gambling Act 2005 required that the council produce, consult on and publish a statement of the principles that they proposed to apply when exercising their functions under the Act.

The Act also required that the Statement of Principles should be kept under review and must be re-published at least every three years.

Cheltenham Borough Council published its existing Statement of Principles in February 2016.

The Cabinet Member informed that consultation had now been undertaken on a revised policy statement in line with changes to legislation, national policy and best practice guidance.  Draft changes of note were as follows :

·         Local Area Profiles :these allowed the council to draw up a profile of the borough with particular emphasis on the effect of gambling establishments on local communities and then to use this data to inform decision making in relation to the council’s functions under the Gambling Act.  The policy statement sets out a commitment to engage with the County Council’s Public Health Team to develop such a local area profile.

·         Local Risk Assessments: this provision reflected the Gambling Commission’s Social Responsibility (SR) code 10.1.1 which required gambling operators to undertake local risk assessments for their licensed premises.  These risk assessments must implement policies, procedures and control measures to mitigate gambling related risks.  These must be presented to the council when it makes decisions in relation to new gambling establishments and changes to existing ones.

·         Exchange of Information :updated to reflect the recent changes to data protection and privacy laws.

The report set out the outcome of the consultation and sought Cabinet approval for the adoption of the policy by Council.

RESOLVED THAT

1.    the proposed changes to the Statement of Principles and consultation responses be noted;

2.    Council be recommended to approve the policy statement.