Consultation outcome

Fees under the Licensing Act 2003

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government
This consultation has concluded

Read the full outcome

Detail of outcome

The government’s response to the consultation on locally-set fees under the Licensing Act 2003.

Feedback received

Summary and factual report on the consultation responses

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Detail of feedback received

Response to the consultation on locally-set fees under the Licensing Act 2003. Summary and factual report on the consultation responses.


Original consultation

Summary

This consultation seeks views on details of the move from centrally-set to locally-set fees under the Licensing Act 2003.

This consultation ran from
to

Consultation description

The Licensing Act 2003 (the 2003 Act) regulates the sale of alcohol, the provision of late night refreshment and regulated entertainment in England and Wales, and is primarily administered by local authorities, acting in their capacity as licensing authorities. Licensing fees are intended to recover the costs that licensing authorities incur in carrying out these licensing functions. Licensing fees are payable to licensing authorities by holders of licences and certificates, and those making applications or issuing notices. This can include, for example, pubs, shops, restaurants and private members’ clubs (such as working men’s clubs).

Current fee levels were set in 2005 and apply nationally. They have not been adjusted since (other than for the introduction of new fees for new processes). The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 amended the 2003 Act to introduce a power for the Home Secretary to prescribe in regulations that in future fee levels should be set by individual licensing authorities to enable them to recover their licensing costs.

The consultation seeks views on important aspects of the regulations that will govern locally-set fees. These include:

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

It also asks whether there should be a single national payment date for annual fees. (Annual fees are currently payable on the anniversary of the date the licence was granted).

An impact assessment accompanies the consultation document, which estimates the change in fee payments that will result from fees being set locally. This includes an estimate of the costs for licensing authorities of the duty to set fees.

Alongside the consultation, we are conducting a survey of licensing authority costs. This seeks licensing authority estimates of their costs in performing each of their licensing function under the 2003 Act. Completed surveys or queries should be sent to: alcoholstrategy@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

How to respond

Please send us your comments by using our online form.

Alternatively, you can email your response to: alcoholstrategy@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

Or write to:

Alcohol team
Drugs and Alcohol Unit
Home Office
4th Floor Fry Building
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

Documents

Fees under the Licensing Act 2003

Licensing authority costs survey

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Updates to this page

Published 13 February 2014
Last updated 26 February 2015 + show all updates
  1. Responses to the consultation and the government's response published.

  2. First published.

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