Report of the Transactional and Licensing Team Manager is attached.

Contact: Mandy Beever (01743 251702)

13.1    Members received the report of the Transactional Management and Licensing – Team Manager which set out the revision of licensing fees where the authority has the discretion to determine the relevant fees for the financial year from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.

13.2    The Transactional Management and Licensing – Team Manager reminded the meeting that this was an annual report, and that fees were calculated on a cost recovery basis.

13.3    The Transactional Management and Licensing – Team Manager reminded members that the Hackney Cab and Private Hire fees would be subject to a further period of consultation in the new year as required by law, and that all other fees would be included in the report that would be going to Council in the new year.

13.4    A Member commented that the percentage increase included in the calculation for staff salary increase seemed low.  The Transactional Management and Licensing – Team Manager that the figure included had been agreed with colleagues in Finance.

13.5    A Member asked an explanation for the large increase in the fee for an application to reinstate a Family Entertainment Centre Premises Licence.  The Transactional Management and Licensing – Team Manager explained that when they had looked at the work involved with the application it was very similar to the work involved with a new licence application so the decision had been taken to equalise the fees charged to reflect this.

13.6    RESOLVED:

1.    That the Committee notes 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 recommends that the authority implements these fees (or if subject to statutory amendment, the relevant amended fees) on the 1 April 2024 and instructs the Transactional Management and Licensing Team Manager to arrange for the fees to be included in the 2024/25 annual fees and charges reports that are presented to Cabinet and Council and further instructs the Transactional Management and Licensing Team Manager to implement, as appropriate, any other statutory fees that may be brought into force during the 2024/25 financial year and to publish all relevant statutory fees on the licensing pages of the Council’s website as soon as is practicable.

2.    That the Committee implements, with any necessary modification and with effect from 1 April 2024, the proposed fees as set out in Appendices D, E, F, G, H and I that relate to those licences and licensing related activities where the authority has the discretion to determine the fees and instructs the Transactional Management and Licensing Team Manager to arrange for the fees to be included in the 2024/25 annual fees and charges reports that are presented to Cabinet and Council and further instructs the Transactional and Licensing Team Manager to publish the fees on the licensing pages of the Council’s website as soon as is practicable.

3.    That the Committee proposes 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 instructs the Transactional Management and Licensing Team 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.    That the Committee instructs the Transactional Management and Licensing Team Manager to arrange for the proposed fees as set out in Appendix F, with any necessary modification, to be included in the 2024/25 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’.  

5.    That the Committee agrees the Relevant Protected Site fees policy as set out at Appendix J and instructs the Transactional Management and Licensing Team Manager is published the fees policy on the licensing pages of the Council’s website.