Agenda, decisions and minutes

To elect a Chairman for this meeting.

Nominations for a Chairman of the Licensing Sub Committee were sought and it was

Resolved:

To elect Councillor Allison Bucknell as Chairman for this meeting only.

To receive any apologies for absence and to note any substitutions.

No apologies were received.

The Chairman will give details of the exits to be used in the event of an emergency.

The Chairman gave the details of the exits to be used in the event of an emergency.

To receive any declarations of disclosable interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Chairman will explain the attached procedure to those present.

The Chairman explained the procedure to be followed at the hearing, as contained within the “Hearing Procedure Summary – Classification of Films” (Page 5 of the Agenda refers).

To consider whether to exclude the press and public from the meeting for the business specified in Agenda item 7 in accordance with Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 (the Act) because it is likely that if members of the public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in Schedule 12A, Part 1, paragraph 6b under the Act and the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information to the public.

The Sub Committee were in agreement that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of Agenda item 7 and duly:

Resolved:

To agree that in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the public from the meeting for the business specified in Minute Number 7 because it is likely that if members of the public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in paragraph 6b of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act and the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information to the public.

To consider and determine the classification that the film You Can’t Get There from Here should be given. The Sub Committee will view the film and make its determination following this. The briefing report of Linda Holland (Licensing Manager) is attached.

Linda Holland (Licensing Manager) explained to the Sub Committee that a request had been received from Daniel Petkoff to classify the film “You Can’t Get There From Here” which was planned to be shown at the Atheneum Theatre in Warminster that does not have a British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).

The film was then shown to the Sub Committee Members with part subtitles where relevant.

At the end of the film viewing the Licensing Sub Committee:

Resolved:

That in relation to the film, “You Can’t Get There From Here”, to grant the film a PG classification for any public viewing in Wiltshire.

Reasons

Having viewed the film “You Can’t Get There From Here” in Part II private session on 10 May 2022, the Sub Committee took into account the British Board of Film Classification (UK) (BBFC) classification guidelines and unanimously agreed that the content should be subject to a PG parental guidance classification.  The Sub Committee noted that the film, which was a documentary, contained only one incidence of mild bad language  and that there was no nudity or reference to sexual activity.  Whilst there was reference to violence this was in places animated and where this was moderate it was justified by its context (history).  There was no glamorisation of weapons such as guns, nor any focus on anti-social behaviour.

In reaching its decision the Sub Committee also took into account the relevant provisions of the Licensing Act 2003,  the Council’s agreed procedure for the classification of films which was approved in September 2019 and the British Board of Film Classifications current guidelines.