Issue - meetings
BUSINESS AND PLANNING ACT 2020 – UPDATE TO PAVEMENT LICENSING REGIME
Meeting: 18/06/2024 - Licensing Committee (Item 9)
9 Business and Planning Act 2020 – Update to Pavement Licensing Regime 
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Purpose:
To provide a draft Pavement License Policy Document for approval following the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act making permanent the pavement licensing regime.
Recommendations:
That the Licensing Committee Resolves to recommend to Council to:
1. Approve the draft policy, subject to any further amendments; and
2. Approve the new fees as detailed in paragraph 3.3 of the report.
Additional documents:
Minutes:
Mandy Fathers, Business Manager for Environmental, Welfare and Revenue Services, introduced the report, which provided a draft Pavement License Policy Document for approval following the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act making the pavement licensing regime permanent.
In debate, the Committee sought clarification from Officers regarding the length of a permissible license. Officers confirmed awarded licenses would be permissible for 2 years, not 1 year as was generally presumed.
The Committee also sought clarification surrounding the fees detailed within the draft policy. Officers confirmed that to ensure that the Council was reimbursed for the administration of this service, a cost analysis had been undertaken and the proposed fees were £185 for a new licence fee, and £150 for a renewal fee. Officers also highlighted that the fee increase over a two-year license period equated to an overall reduction in the fees as a result of the cost-based analysis.
The Committee queried the location of current permissible licenses, to which officers advised that whilst the exact locations were not readily available, licenses were located across the district with a high number located within the town of Witney. Officers also stated that through the summer months, licence numbers may have increased in line with warmer, more pleasant weather.
Officers also committed to ensuring that communications surrounding the changes to licensing provisions were publicised as appropriate.
Councillor Sandra Simpson proposed that the Committee agree the recommendations as set out on the original report. This was seconded by Councillor Martin McBride, was put to a vote, and was unanimously agreed by the Committee.
The Committee Resolved to Recommend to Council to:
- Approve the draft policy, subject to any further amendments;
- Approve the new fees as detailed in paragraph 3.3 of the original report.