Issue - meetings

A report of the Urban Environment Assistant Director (Enforcement).

The Committee was informed of the statutory requirements under the Gambling Act 2005, that required the licensing Authority to set fees in respect of licenses under the Act and to consult on the proposed fees with those licensees who would be affected by or otherwise have an interest in the setting of the fees. The Committee was further informed of the requirement to set fees for premises licence applications subject to the fee maximums as proposed by the Government. The Committee was advised that fees, in the form of a one off application fee followed by an annual fee, must be set subject to the following principles:

·                    To ensure that fees are set at a level that enables full cost recovery by the licensing authority

·                    To ensure fairness and value for money for the gaming industry.

Having discussed these principles, and the need for the licensing authority to recover it’s cost and not make a loss out of processing the applications, and considering by how much other neighbouring boroughs had altered their fees, the Committee felt that an increase to the maximum fee for betting premises (excluding tracks) would best ensure the licensing authority would reflect what neighbouring boroughs had set their fees at, and also to ensure that licensing authority did not make a loss out of processing the licensing applications over  the coming two years. The Committee was therefore presented with two options as follows:

(i)                 Set the fee maxima proposed by the Government initially and review the fees after a year. The Committee was advised that this stance was discouraged by the Government and the industry alike.

(ii)               Set its own fee levels according to estimated time and costs in carrying out the functions required to administer the Act ensuring that costs were within the fee maxima given by Government.

RESOLVED

·                    That the Committee noted the two options and opted for (ii), so that Betting Premises (excluding tracks) fees be set to the maximum of £600 for the annual fee.

·                    That the Committee agreed to review these fees in a years time.

·                    That the Committee agreed to the formal consultation process on the fees commence as necessary.