Issue - meetings

Report of the Director of Corporate Resources to recommend increases to the Council’s licensing fees and charges for services with effect from 1^st April 2012.

Kevin Bartle, Lead Finance Officer, presented the report recommending increases to the Council’s licensing fees and charges for services with effect from 1^st April 2012. Mr Bartle made it clear that where “N/A” was shown in the appended schedule of proposed charges, this should be read as “no increase”, as it was not the case that no charge applied for these items.

The following points were raised in discussion of this item:

• Concern was expressed regarding traders operating without permits on Spurs matchdays, including some operating out of residential gardens, and asked whether it was possible for greater enforcement of such issues. Myles Joyce, Planning Enforcement Team Leader, agreed to feed the Committee’s views back to the Enforcement team, and it was also suggested that Homes for Haringey might wish to look into the issue of stalls operating from their properties. Cllr Schmitz further advised that ticket touts could be prosecuted for obstruction of the highway.
• Wood Green tube station was identified as a further area where additional enforcement action was needed, as this area attracted ticket touts when there were concerts at Alexandra Palace.
• The Committee asked whether comparative information on fee increases had been sought from other boroughs; it was reported that this had been undertaken the previous year, but that it was proposed to adopt a blanket increase this year.
• In response to a question regarding whether it would be possible to further increase charges for traders operating on Spurs matchdays, Mr Bartle advised the Committee that the principle of cost recovery had to be adhered to. In terms of cost recovery, the Committee asked about the significant increase in fees at Alexandra Palace between an event attended by 2,500 people and another attended by 2,501. It was agreed that this issue would be referred back to the relevant Service for further information.
• The Committee noted that betting premises were amongst those whose maximum fees were prescribed by the Secretary of State, as set out in pages 16-18 of the agenda.
• The Committee raised the issue of a local GP only being permitted a single parking permit for their bay, which caused difficulty, for example when this space was required by a locum. It was agreed that this information would be passed on to Ann Cunningham for attention.
• The Committee noted the legal advice that certain fees and charges may not be set by the Cabinet in accordance with legislation, but questioned the rationale behind these Regulations.

RESOLVED

That the Committee approve the increase to the Council’s licensing fees and charges, as per the appendix attached to the report, with effect from 1^st April 2012, subject to an equalities impact assessment being carried out and any subsequent changes then required being delegated to the Director of Place and Sustainability and the appropriate cabinet member.