Licensing Panel (Licensing Act 2003 Functions) - 30 Jun 2025 10.00am

The Panel noted that substitutes are not allowed, recorded Councillor Smart's declaration concerning Hangleton and Knoll Project, noted that there were no declarations of party whip, and resolved that the press and public would not be excluded.

The minutes of the meeting held on 22 May were signed by the Chair.

The Chair welcomed attendees and asked members of the public to identify whether they were speaking for themselves or on behalf of an organisation.

The Panel heard evidence from Simon Scott and Angela Flood about alcohol-related harm among people over 50, including health impacts, social isolation, safety concerns and the Cheers!? research project. The Panel was also informed about initiatives involving social marketing, brief interventions and hospital-based focused interventions.

The Panel considered the Community Engagement Framework and discussed the need for better coordination, clear communication, use of existing community structures and accessible information for older people.

With the agreement of the Chair, consideration of the annual report was postponed to the following meeting.

The Panel received a briefing on racially and religiously motivated incidents affecting older people, barriers to reporting and the outreach and casework undertaken by the Partnership Community Safety Team. Members discussed reporting centres, translated forms, local councillor involvement and improving access to support.

The Chair thanked contributors and invited members of the public to the next meeting, scheduled for 10 July at 1.30pm at Brighton Town Hall.