Agenda item - Licensing Fees 2019/2020

Report of the Executive Director, Neighbourhoods, Communities and Housing (copy attached)

RESOLVED – That the Committee approves the following licence fees:

 - Raise all taxi licence fees by the corporate rate of inflation (2%) for 2019/20;

 - Sex entertainment venues and sex establishment fees – fees remain unchanged;

 - Street trading fees – fees remain unchanged; and

 - All Gambling Act 2005 – fees remain unchanged.

17.1    The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director, Neighbourhoods, Communities and Housing which set out the proposed licence fees and charges for 2019/20 in relation to Street Trading, Sex Establishments and Sex Entertainment Licences, Gambling premises, taxi licensing and other licensing functions.

17.2    The Regulatory Services Manager, Jim Whitelegg, explained that in order to ensure that council tax payers did not subsidise licensing administration work, fees needed to be raised and set at a level aimed to cover the cost of administration of each regime within the constraints of regulation. Licence fees could not be used in order to raise surplus revenues. A further review had been taken of the way in which charges were calculated and the suggested level of fees had therefore been calculated based on the most recent and detailed analysis of officer time. Details in respect of how the setting of fees was regulated including changes which had been made as a result of legislation and cases was set out in the body of the report.

17.3    Councillor Wares sought clarification regarding how the percentage figures had been arrived at and it was explained that they had been rounded. Councillor Wares also queried whether the percentages cited could in fact generate a higher increase than anticipated and whether if that were to be the case it would be more appropriate to refer to the actual sum charged for the respective types of licence rather than expressing that figure as a percentage. Councillor Wares also sought confirmation that reports seeking approval of subsequent fees would be brought back for approval by the Committee. It was explained that a licensing fees report seeking approval of the level of fees for any given financial year was brought to Committee for its agreement and ratification annually.

17.4    RESOLVED – That the Committee approves the following licence fees:

- Raise all taxi licence fees by the corporate rate of inflation (or 2%) for 2019/20;

- Sex entertainment venues and sex establishment fees – fees remain unchanged;

 - Street trading fees – fees remain unchanged; and

 - All Gambling Act 2005 – fees remain unchanged.

NB: A list of agreed fees for 2018/19 and proposed fees for 2019/20 was set out in Appendices 1 and 2 to the report for comparative purposes.