Agenda and minutes

In accordance with the Localism Act 2011, and the Council’s Code of Conduct, Members to disclose any personal or pecuniary interests in any matter included on the agenda for this meeting.

Members stated that the interests declared at the meeting of 16 December 2014 remained unchanged and thus reaffirmed the following and remained in the meeting during the consideration of the matter:

“Councillors Galton, Hammond, Whitbread, Vassiliou, Spicer and Painton declared personal interests, in view of Councillor Galton’s respective status as being a member of Mint Casino (now Genting) and having visited the Genting Casino approximately twelve months ago and being a member of Grosvenor Leisureworld, Councillor Hammond’s respective status of visiting Gala Bournemouth about five years ago and Grosvenor Brighton about two years ago and a casino in Southend about 10 years ago, Councillor Whitbread’s respective status as holding membership of Grosvenor Leisureworld and visiting in the last four months, Councillor Vassiliou’s respective status as being a member of Grosvenor Leisureworld and Genting Casino, Councillor Spicer’s respective status as holding membership of Grosvenor Leisureworld and visiting recently and Councillor Painton’s respective status as holding membership of Genting Casino.”

To approve and sign as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 16 December 2014 and to deal with any matters arising, attached.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 16 December 2014 be approved and signed as a correct record.

At a predetermined point during the consideration of the following item the Committee may move into private session in order to receive legal advice when determining issues. The parties to the hearing, press and the public, unless otherwise excluded by Section 100A(4) Local Government Act 1972, will be invited to return immediately following that private session at which time the matter will be determined and the decision of the Committee will be announced.

RESOLVED that the parties to the hearing, press and public be excluded at a predetermined point in accordance with Section 100A(4) Local Government Act 1972 whilst the Committee reaches its decision.

Report of the Head of Legal and Democratic Services detailing a proposal to amend the location of the large casino and other issues, attached.

The Committee considered the report of the Head of Legal and Democratic Services detailing a proposal to amend the location of the large casino and other issues.

Mr Herd (Global Gaming Ventures Ltd), Mr Walsh and Mr Battey (Kymeira), Ros Cassy (Friends of Town Quay Park), Mr Linecar (Southampton Commons and Parks Protection Society), Mr Heslop (Counsel, Aspers), and Mr Bishop, Anna Matthias and Mr Wade (Grosvenor) were present and with the consent of the Chair, addressed the meeting.

Mr Nayak and Mr  Clifton, on behalf of the developer, Royal Pier Waterfront, answered questions which were raised by the Committee.

The Committee considered the decision in confidential session in accordance with the Local Government Act 1972 Section 100A(4).

RESOLVED that the following decision be approved and notified, as agreed at the meeting, to all applicants in writing after the meeting:

1.  The Committee is grateful to those parties and members of the public who attended the meeting and engaged in a constructive discussion.

2.  The Committee has carefully considered all of the documents contained in its agenda papers, the supplemental agenda papers and the authorities bundle. It does not repeat the contents of any of that material here.

3.  The Committee has also listened carefully to the cogent arguments advanced by the parties, and has taken all such arguments into account. It does not deal here with every matter advanced, but only the main matters necessary for it to reach its decision.

4.  The Committee reiterates that it comes to its decision entirely independently of, and uninfluenced by, any other actions or statements by any other part of the Council. It is a statutory licensing committee and is concerned only with matters arising under the Gambling Act itself.

5.  The following represents the unanimous view of the Committee.

6.  Having considered the documentary material and listened to the flow of debate at the hearing, the Committee reaches the following factual conclusions:

(i)  RPW has failed, for reasons which it has not explained, to provide any of the basic information to the applicants to enable them to formulate their Stage 2 bids.

(ii)  This dearth of information will have been apparent to the applicants at the time of the Committee hearing on 16^th December 2014 and at all times since, yet it is only today that any applicant has made it clear that they are still lacking such basic information, such that it is not possible for a Stage 2 bid to be made on the revised deadline of 16^th April, on an informed basis or at all.

(iii)Due to the dearth of basic information, no applicant is able to state that any proposal, be it for the casino location zone as originally proposed or sites WQ2, 3 or 4, is a viable or a commercial proposition.

(iv)Conversely, however, other than Grosvenor’s suggestion that the original location is less attractive to them than WQ2, 3 or 4, there is no actual evidence that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.