Report of the Transactional and Licensing Manager is attached, marked 5.

Contact: Mandy Beever (01743 251702)

Consideration was given to the report of the Transactional and Licensing Team Manager (copy attached to the signed minutes).  The report set out the proposed revised fees for the period 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020 for licences and licensing related activities and new fees in regard to licences issued under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 which came into effect on 1 October 2018.

The Transactional and Licensing Team Manager answered a number of general queries and in response to a question regarding the budget explained that any surplus as in the Licensing Act budget cannot be used to offset the deficit in Hackney Carriage and Private Hire budget. It was added that the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire budget was reviewed every year and the deficit had decreased but as it was impossible to predict the number of applications that would be received in the year the fees were based on an estimated figure.

Councillor Dean Carroll left the meeting at this point.

RESOLVED:

1.    The Committee noted the statutory fees that Shropshire Council was required to charge in accordance with the Licensing Act 2003 as set out in Appendix A, in accordance with the Gambling Act 2005 as set out in Appendix B and in accordance with explosives and fireworks legislation as set out in Appendix C and recommended that the authority implements these fees (or if subject to statutory amendment, the relevant amended fees) on the 1 April 2019 and instructed the Trading Standards and Licensing Operations Manager to arrange for the fees to be included in the 2019/20 annual fees and charges reports that were presented to Cabinet and Council and further instructed the Trading Standards and Licensing Operations Manager to implement, as appropriate, any other statutory fees that may be brought into force during the 2019/20 financial year and to publish all relevant statutory fees on the licensing pages of the Council’s website as soon as was practicable. 

2.    The Committee agreed to implement, with any necessary modification and with effect from 1 April 2019 the proposed fees as set out in Appendices D, E, F and G that relate to those licences and licensing related activities where the authority has the discretion to determine the fees and instructed the Trading Standards and Licensing Operations Manager to arrange for the fees to be included in the 2019/20 annual fees and charges reports that are presented to Cabinet and Council and further instructed the Trading Standards and Licensing Operations Manager to publish the fees on the licensing pages of the Council’s website as soon as was practicable. 

3.    The Committee implemented, with any necessary modification and with effect from 3 October 2018, the proposed fees as set out in Appendix H that relate to those licences and licensing related activities where the authority has the discretion to determine the fees and instructed the Trading Standards and Licensing Operations Manager to arrange for the fees to be included in the 2019/20 annual fees and charges reports that were presented to Cabinet and Council and further instructed the Trading Standards and Licensing Operations Manager to publish the fees on the licensing pages of the Council’s website as soon as was practicable.

4.    The Committee proposed to vary the fees relevant to driver, hackney carriage, private hire vehicle and operator licences as set out in Appendix F, with any necessary modification, and instructed the Trading Standards and Licensing Operations Manager, in accordance with the provisions of Section 70 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 to undertake the necessary work to consult and implement the fees.

5.    The Committee instructed the Trading Standards and Licensing Operations Manager to arrange for the proposed fees as set out in Appendix F, with any necessary modification, to be included in the 2019/20 annual fees and charges reports that were presented to Cabinet and Council and, where necessary, in respect of those fees a note is recorded in the said annual reports stating ‘Provisional fees under consultation fees to be confirmed by the Strategic Licensing Committee’.