Agenda item

Licensing Pre Application Advice, Application Assistance and 'Check and Send Service'

Minutes:

The Senior Licensing Officer introduced the report, setting out the background and context for the introduction of licensing pre-application advice, application assistance and ‘check and send service.’

 

From discussions with applicants, it was apparent that some were put off by the length of the application forms and the amount of technical information required in submitting an application. Although guidance was available on the website, the prescribed application process was inherently complicated mainly because it was linked to primary legislation and applicants did not always have time to consider the guidance that was available. In addition, officers routinely rejected incomplete or incorrectly served applications; which were then delayed or not resubmitted because applicants perceived the process to be too difficult and onerous.  It was noted that investment in the Borough was invariably affected by this because without the necessary licence, businesses could not trade, which had implications in terms of inward investment, local economic growth and potentially depriving local communities of welcome amenities.

 

Members were informed that the fees for the new service were set at £75 per hour and that this rate had been approved by Cabinet at it’s meeting held on 17th June 2019. In response to whether other local authorities provided a similar service and charged a fee, the Senior Licensing Officer stated that 15 other local authorities provided pre-application advice and assistance for which a fee was charged. The fee had been formulated as part of the review of the Regulatory Service fees increase and set as the same formula that was approved and used by the Council’s Trading Standards and Food and Safety Teams. It was clarified however that it was not mandatory to use this service and useful guidance notes and information was also available on the Council’s website. 

 

Responding to the number of applications that had not been completed properly during the previous year, the Committee were informed that four had been incomplete. It was anticipated that the majority of applicants wanting to use the pre-application advice service would relate to applications made under the Licensing Act 2003. The scheme would be monitored, detailing the amount of time spent on each application.

 

Members welcomed and noted the details of the report.

 

Resolved That the introduction of the discretionary Licensing pre-Application Advice, Application Assistance and ‘Check and Send Service’ be noted.   

 

 

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