Agenda item

Report of the Group Director of Services

The Group Director of Services submitted a report (previously circulated) to invite Members to determine the fees associated to licensing. The submitted report stated that Councils were responsible for administering a range of licences and for the majority of these regimes the costs were recovered through fees set by each Council and paid by the licence applicant. It was stated that it was an accepted principle in relation to these schemes that those who benefit from the system (the licence holders) should cover the cost of it.

It was reported that legislation permitted the Council to recover all or part of the costs of providing the licensing service, including its administration and control (i.e. enforcement or supervision), however it did not permit the Council to profit from its fees and charges, thus ring fencing the income to the licensing service. It was highlighted that some fees, notably in relation to the Licensing Act 2003, were set nationally within legislation and the Council had no control, and noted that whilst the Gambling Act 2005 allowed local authorities to set fees, regulations stipulated a maximum amount that can be charged.

The submitted report noted that Council had delegated the setting of fees and registrations to the General Licensing Committee on 28 January 2016.  The current National economic position was outlined within the report, together with the provisions around taxi licensing, general licensing and mobile homes.

Members entered into discussion on how fees could be balanced to encourage or reinforce desirable behaviour; how licence fees for street trading could best be structured to attract trade, with incentivisation for longer licences; the discount offered in relation to Hackney Carriage fees for hybrid and electric vehicles; and the need for licensing activity to remain self-sufficient in the face of increased staffing costs.

RESOLVED – (a) That licensing fees across all regimes remain unchanged; and

(b) That the fee collection arrangements be amended for a mobile home site ‘fit and proper person’ registration.

REASON - To ensure there is a balance between recovering the costs of delivering the licensing service from the relevant licence fees, whilst acknowledging the dynamics involved is setting them.