Birch House Business Centre Ltd v Denbighshire County Council
On the 8th December 2010, District Judge Shaw in Prestatyn Magistrates’ Court awarded record costs against Denbighshire County Council in a Licensing Appeal.
The V2 Nightclub, represented by Sarah Clover, Head of Licensing at No5 Chambers, and Hillier McKeown Solicitors had been on the receiving end of three consecutive review applications by North Wales Police.
Disclosure of Police Evidence
The District Judge was deeply critical of the presentation of police evidence of incidents implicating the premises. In a style commonly used by Licensing officers around the country, the police presented to three separate Committees a “Summary” of incidents, in the form of a document prepared for the hearing by police officers, and including a ‘Summary Log’, and ‘Analysis’, and a “Hot Spot” Map.
The total award of costs handed down by the District Judge was £24,609.85 payable within 14 days. This is believed to be a record award against a public authority in a licensing appeal.
