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Venue: Committee Room 1 & 2, The Guildhall, Market Square, Cambridge, CB2 3QJ
Contact: Democratic Services Committee Manager
No. | Item |
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Apologies Minutes: Apologies were received from Councillors Gehring, McQueen, Pippas and
Thittala. |
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Declarations of Interest Minutes: No declarations of interest were made. |
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Minutes: The minutes of the meeting held on 30 September 2019 were approved as a
correct record and signed by the Chair. |
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Public Questions Minutes: There were no public questions. |
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Annual Review of Licensing Fees and Charges 2020-21 Additional documents:
Minutes: The Committee received a report from the Environmental Health
Manager. The report advised that Cambridge City Council (as the
Licensing Authority) was responsible for processing and issuing licences for a
wide range of activities. The Council needed to demonstrate that the fees it charged
for such licences had been set in accordance with the law and best practice, so
as to recover its allowable costs in administering the various licensing
regimes for which it was responsible. Fees should be set to avoid either a surplus or a subsidy
where possible and adjusted, if necessary, in succeeding years to achieve and
maintain the correct balance. The Officer’s report set out the revised fees and charges for
licences and associated items, which it proposed should be made with effect
from 1 April 2020. In response to Members’ questions the Environmental Health Manager said
the following:
i.
A number of fees were set nationally by Central
Government. There had been suggestions these should be set locally not
nationally.
ii.
Each element had its own cost centre. Officers
reviewed costs for each process and what could be charged.
iii.
The Taxi Trade periodically submitted Freedom of
Information requests regarding charges. iv.
The Council had evidence as an audit trail to show
the costs incurred to administer taxi licensing etc and so justify fees
charged.
v.
The current precedent set through courts/case law
was that licensing authorities could charge to ensure compliance (eg through
inspections) but not for enforcement. vi.
The Council kept fee costs unchanged this year.
Officers were awaiting the outcome of the Wakefield Case to see if this had
implications for future fees and training. vii.
The Council complied with fee charges set out in
current legislation. The Council reviewed fee charges annually. Depending on
the outcome of the Wakefield case, fees may change in future. The Committee: Resolved
(unanimously) to approve the level of fees
and charges with effect from 1 April 2020, as set out in Appendix A of the Officer’s report, and to
request officers to communicate the charges to members of the public,
businesses and taxi trade. |