A NEW licence to allow events to take place at Mudeford Quay is being considered by councillors as part of work to bring BCP Council’s existing agreements into line.

Members of the council’s licensing committee considered the application on Wednesday and were told it would help manage larger events planned across the conurbation.

Should it be approved, it will replace a similar licence previously held by the former Christchurch council. A decision is expected to be published in the coming days.

A similar application covering Christchurch’s beaches had been due to be discussed by the committee but it was withdrawn before the start of the meeting.

The move came following concerns raised by solicitors Blandy & Blandy that the proposal was “defective”.

The Mudeford Quay application, which seeks permission to allow live entertainment to be hosted at any time between 10am and 11pm, was considered at Wednesday’s meeting.

Christchurch council also had a licence covering the area for a greater number of hours but it was surrendered in favour of BCP Council’s new proposal, bringing it in line with other areas.

The latest application does not include any provision for the sale of alcohol.

“Since the formation of BCP Council, we are now part of the centralised events team,” Helen Wildman, a council event manager said at the meeting. “We wanted to bring the licences together so that they will all in keeping.”

She said this would mean the council has standard conditions in place should any large event be planned in the area and that any risks would be monitored by a multi-agency group.

One of the conditions of the licence, should it be approved, would be that a maximum of three events can be held in the area each year.

Concerns have been raised that the existence of the licence would encourage events that would exacerbate issues already experienced around the quay at busy times.

But councillors were told these were not issues to be considered through the licensing process and would instead be monitored by the council as part of its typical event-planning processes.

A formal decision notice outlining the decision made by councillors in private on Wednesday is expected to be published in the coming days.