Home Office launch consultation on locally set licence fees

The Home Office has today launched a public consultation on the move from centrally-set to locally-set fees under the Licensing Act 2003. 

The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 introduced a power for the Home Secretary to prescribe in regulations that fee levels should be set by individual Licensing Authorities on a cost recovery basis. This consultation seeks views on key aspects of the regulations that will govern locally-set fees. These include:

• the maximum amount that can be charged;
• whether and under what circumstances Licensing Authorities should be empowered to charge different amounts to different types of premises; and
• the mechanisms that will provide reassurance to fee-payers that fees are being set transparently, at cost, and efficiency encouraged.

You should be aware that there is proposed a substantial uplift in the fees that may be set and by way of example the proposed national cap for certain types of application follows:

Proposed Cap Levels
	Fee Category	Proposed Cap	Current fee or maximum fee (for information only)
Processes that can result in hearings or include review hearings
19 (a)	Application for the grant of a premises licence	£2,400	£1,905
19 (b)	Application for a provisional statement	£2400	£315
19 (c)	Application to vary a premises licence	£2,400	£1,905
19 (d)	Application to vary premises licence to specify designated premises supervisor	£105	£23
19 (e)	Application to vary a premises licence to remove requirement for designated premises supervisor	£105	£23
19 (f)	Application for the transfer of a premises licence	£65	£23
19 (g)	Interim authority notice	£114	£23
19 (h)	Annual fee payable by premises licence holder	£740	£1,050

There will be a number of regional events to encourage debate on the issues in the consultation.

They are planning to hold events in York, Manchester, Bristol and London and will confirm the details shortly. To register your interest in attending an event, you should email alcoholstrategy@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk.

The full consultation is available at: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/locally-set-licensing-fees . The closing date for responses is the 10 April 2014.