Agenda item

Purpose: The Committee is asked to note the proposals and agree that these fees go forward for further discussion and consideration as part of the Council fee setting process.

The Committee considered a report (Agenda Item 6) which stated that each service was required to review the fees and charges it levied on behalf of the Council as part of the budget process. Appendix D set out the licensing fees and charges for the current year together with proposed changes for 2019/20.

Sean Murphy explained that at the meeting of the Joint Public Protection Committee (JPPC) in December 2017 it was agreed that as a matter of principle, all fees and charges should be set on the basis of full cost recovery. It was also agreed by the JPPC that, where appropriate, the fees would be aligned over the three areas covered by the partnership. It was recognised  that due to complexities associated with areas such as street trading and animal establishment the same fees could not as yet be implemented across the partnership.

In 2018/19 the rate for the service was set at £55 per hour. The previous hourly rate that had been applied was closer to £35 per hour. Time and motion studies had been undertaken as well as time recording in the service to establish how long various activities that were charged for would on average take to complete For 2019/20 in respect of all discretionary fees and the hourly rate, an inflationary rise of 2.5% had been applied.  

(Councillor Peter Argyle left the meeting at 6.10pm).

Members were concerned that some of the increases were significantly higher than others. Officers stated that this was due to a number of factors including the change to the hourly rate for the service, more accurate assessments of the length of time activities took, the fact that the fees in West Berkshire not realistic and were significantly lower than in Bracknell. Officers were confident that the changes could be justified. The Joint Management Board had looked at the methodology applied and agreed it. It was agreed that the methodology for arriving at the figures should be explained in the consultation that would be undertaken prior to the fees being presented to full Council for approval in March 2019. Councillor Graham Bridgman also felt that it would be useful to explain that the fees had not been increased for six years.

(Councillors Graham Bridgman, Paul Bryant, Tony Linden and Howard Bairstow left the meeting at 6.20pm).

RESOLVED that:

·         the new fees, save for the vehicle and private hire  operator licence fees. as set out in the report be consulted on;

·         that the methodology for deriving the fees be explained as part of the consultation process;

·         that if necessary a special Licensing Committee be arranged for mid-February 2019 to consider the consultation responses prior to the fees and charges being discussed at the March 2019 Council meeting.

·         The proposed changes for operators and vehicle licence fees be advertised and if no objections are received be implemented on the 01 April 2019;

·         If objections are received that they be considered by the Chairman who will set the fees and charges for any licences commencing on the 01 April 2019.