The Chairman requested that all those participating in the hearing identified themselves as follows:-

Councillor Mrs Wendy Hinder – Chairman

Councillor Mrs Denise Joy – Sub-Committee Member

Councillor Mrs Val Springett – Sub-Committee Member

Mrs Jayne Bolas – Legal Officer

Mrs Caroline Matthews – Democratic Services Officer

For the Applicant:

Mr Richard Balfour-Lynn – Owner of Hush Heath Winery

Mrs Leslie Balfour-Lynn – Owner of Hush Heath Winery

Mrs Sarah Easton – Manager of Hush Heath Winery

Witnesses to be called by the Applicant:

Mr David Curtis-Brignall – Deputy Chief Executive, Visit Kent

Councillor John Perry – Staplehurst Ward Councillor

Councillor Louise Brice – Staplehurst Ward Councillor

Councillor Malcolm Greer

For the Objectors:

Mr Philip Kolvin QC – Acting on behalf of Amanda and Bernard Tipples, Kim and Sally Humphrey, Angus Codd and Andrea Hodgkiss, Polly Hardwick, Frank and Anne Tipples, Paul and Doreen Stanley, Alison Clark, Richard and Natasha Davidson-Houston, David Taylor, Nicola Feakin and Marcus Rennick

Witness to be called – Mrs Natasha Davidson-Houston

Mr Robin Harris – Legal Advisor (observing)

Mr Mike Nash – Democratic Services Officer (observing for training purposes)

The Chairman asked all parties to confirm that they were aware of the hearing procedure and that each had a copy of the procedure document.

The Sub-Committee Members confirmed that they had pre-read all the agenda papers and any other documents regarding the hearing.  Save that Councillor Mrs Springett, due to other commitments had skim read items such as the noise report and noted duplicated items but felt she had a good overall understanding of the issues involved.

The Chairman enquired whether draft conditions had been agreed between the applicant and any of the other parties for the Sub-Committee to consider. 

Mr Philip Kolvin QC addressed the Sub-Committee.  He advised that he had put forward some proposed conditions to the Applicant on behalf of the objectors and the Applicant had agreed to some of the conditions. 

In response, the Applicant, Mr Balfour-Lynn, advised that he had agreed to some of the conditions which related to the licence, however some of the conditions related to planning conditions which were not pertinent to the licence. 

The Chairman enquired whether any parties would be requesting any witnesses to give evidence at the hearing.

Mr Kolvin advised that he would be calling Natasha Davidson-Houston as a witness and would be the spokesperson for the objectors.

Mr Balfour-Lynn stated that he would be calling Mr David Curtis-Brignall, Deputy Chief Executive of Visit Kent, Councillor Malcolm Greer, Councillors John Perry and Louise Brice who were Staplehurst Ward Members, Sarah Easton, the General Manager of the Winery and his wife, Leslie Balfour-Lynn.

Mr Balfour-Lynn confirmed that he would be the spokesperson for the applicant.

The Legal Advisor was asked to outline the application for a variation of the premises licence on behalf of Hush Heath Winery which was as follows:-

·  Removal of the condition ”the supply of alcohol on the premises will be limited to tasting samples only”  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12