Agenda and minutes

Apologies for inability to attend were reported from Councillors Anglin and Carson.

            The minutes of the meeting of 20th August were taken as read and signed as correct.  It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 1st September.

            No declarations of interest were recorded.

            The Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, welcomed Mr. S. Hipkins to the meeting.  Mr. Hipkins had recently been appointed as Building Control Manager.

The Licensing Committee was provided with a report containing an overview of the progress which had been made on each of the four motions for which it was responsible.

The Committee was asked to approve the recommendation to close the motion on AirBnB/short-term let accommodation.  The motion called upon the Council to write to the NI Executive asking it to consider putting in place an appropriate regime for the management of short-term lets in Northern Ireland.  Correspondence was sent on two separate occasions to the Department for the Economy and Tourism NI highlighting the concerns of the Committee and the need for legislation.  Tourism NI had responded to advise that it had undertaken a review of the certification of visitor accommodation and would examine options for future regulation of visitor accommodation.  The Members were advised that any changes which were considered following the review would require new or amended legislation which would take time. 

During discussion, a number of Members stated that, while they were content that the motion would be closed, they were cognisant of the need to address the over proliferation of such accommodation in certain areas and that a significant level of work was still to be undertaken in respect of the regulation of short term lets, particularly by the NI Executive and Tourism NI in order and to ensure that residents living nearby such accommodation were not adversely impacted as a result.

A Member stated that they were concerned to learn that Tourism NI had been issuing certificates for accommodation which did not have the necessary planning permission in place.  The Director of Planning and Building Control advised the Committee that she would raise this issue with Tourism NI.  She also confirmed that she would continue to keep the Committee informed on any progress with the regulation of short term let accommodation.

A further Member welcomed the work which the Council had carried out in respect of circulating information in relation to renting rooms in a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO).

            After discussion, the Committee:

·        noted the updates to all Notices of Motion and Issues Raised in Advance for which the Committee was responsible; and

·        agreed to close the motion on Airbnb Accommodation, however, noted that the issues still remained and that the Committee would continue to receive regular updates in respect of the regulation of such accommodation.

The Committee noted a list of applications which had been approved under the Council’s Scheme of Delegation during August, 2025.

The Committee noted a list of applications for licences which had, since its last meeting, been approved under the Council’s Scheme of Delegation.

            The Committee noted that the following item had been withdrawn from the agenda:

·        Application for the Provisional Grant of an Amusement Permit at 51 Rosemary Street and consideration of Objection.

            The Director of Planning and Building Control advised the Committee that, under the provisions of the Street Trading Act (NI) 2001, the Council had the power to designate or rescind the designation of specific streets or parts of streets as being suitable for stationary street trading by licence holders.

            If a street or the commodity to be offered had not been designated under the Act the Council could not issue a licence for street trading from a stationary position in that street. 

            The Committee was required to consider an application which had been received for the creation of a new designated street to accommodate the stationary street trading site outside 44e Glen Road.

            Subject to any amendments, permission was being sought to allow the publication of the statutory 28-day notice of the proposed designation resolution and to commence consultation.

The main steps the Council must undertake included:

a)     Giving public notice of the proposed resolution in two or more local newspapers;

b)     Consulting with the PSNI, the Department for Infrastructure and any other persons it considered appropriate; and

c)     Considering any representations relating to the proposed resolution which it had received.

            A further report would be brought before the Committee at a future meeting detailing the outcome of the process of consultation. At that stage, Members would be able to determine the designation of the street along with any restriction on the commodity to be sold and any recommendations regarding the restriction on the times of trading.

            The Committee granted permission to allow the publication of the statutory 28-day notice of the proposed designation resolution for a new Street Trading Site on the Glen Road and to commence consultation with statutory bodies and other persons who might have an interest in the proposal.