Report of the Transactional and Licensing Team Manager is attached, marked 6.

Contact: Mandy Beever (01743 251702)

Consideration was given to the report of the Transactional and Licensing Team Manager in relation to revised fees for the period 1 April 2020 to 31 March2021 for licences and licensing related activities where the Authority has the discretion to determine the relevant fees.

The Transactional and Licensing Team Manager answered general questions from Members and provided clarification on enforcement, how fees are calculated and how our fees compare with other authorities.

RESOLVED:

1.               The Committee noted the statutory fees that Shropshire Council is 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 2020 and instructed the Trading Standards and Licensing Operations Manager to arrange for the fees to be included in the 2020/21 annual fees and charges reports that are 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 2020/21 financial year and to publish all relevant statutory fees on the licensing pages of the Council’s website as soon as is practicable. 

2.               The Committee agreed to implement, with any necessary modification and with effect from 1 April 2020, the proposed fees as set out in Appendices D, E, F, G and 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 2020/21 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 is practicable. 

3.               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.

4.               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 2020/21 annual fees and charges reports that are 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’.