The Licensing Committee of Haringey Council was scheduled to discuss proposed increases to various licensing fees for the 2026-27 financial year. The committee was also due to review the minutes from a previous meeting held on 6 November 2025.

Review of Fees and Charges 2026-27

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to a report outlining proposed increases to licensing fees for the 2026-27 period. The report indicated that these adjustments were intended to ensure the council could recover the costs associated with managing and administering various licensing regimes. A new charge for promotional activity/product sampling was also proposed for administrative procedures.

The report recommended a 5% increase on existing discretionary fees and the introduction of the new promotional activity fees. It was noted that fees for Licensing Act and Gambling Act premises are already set at statutory maximums and constitute a substantial portion of the fees collected. The council's income policy requires an annual review of fees and charges to ensure full cost recovery and to align with rising service delivery costs. The report referenced the Supreme Court case of Hemmings and others v Westminster City Council, which established that licensing fees must be determined annually and that local authorities are precluded from making a profit from licensing schemes.

Alternative options considered included doing nothing, which would result in the council subsidising the licensing process, or a significant increase in fees, which was discounted as it could lead to an impermissible surplus and negatively impact businesses. The report also detailed the general principles applied to setting licence fees, including that they cannot be used to generate a profit, must be reviewed regularly, and any surplus should be carried over. Income from licence fees may only be spent on the specific regime from which they were generated.

The report also touched upon the council's commitment to its Corporate Delivery Plan 2024-2026, specifically relating to placemaking and economy, and high streets, town centres, and businesses. It also outlined commitments to environmental sustainability within street trading conditions, including bans on single-use plastics and polystyrene, and encouragement for sustainable sourcing and waste management.

The Head of Legal & Governance confirmed that various legislative powers entitle the council to charge fees for different licensing activities, with some fees being statutorily set and others determined by the council. The report stated that there was no legal reason why the committee should not adopt the recommendations. An Equality Impact Assessment screening tool was prepared, concluding that the proposed changes would have a low overall impact and were not expected to disproportionately affect any protected groups.

The report included detailed appendices outlining the proposed fees and charges for a wide range of licences, including those for Bingo Clubs, Betting Premises, Family Entertainment Centres, Adult Gaming Centres, Sex Entertainment Venues, Special Treatment Premises, Scrap Metal Dealers, explosives storage, exhibition licences, street trading, and animal boarding. The proposed fees generally reflected a 5% increase on current charges, with some specific fees remaining unchanged as they are set at statutory maximums.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The committee was also scheduled to confirm the minutes of the Licensing Committee meeting held on 6 November 2025. The previous meeting's minutes indicated discussions regarding the draft Statement of Licensing Policy. Points raised included clarity on specific paragraphs relating to the policy, the need to specify the relevant Act for counterterrorism measures, and questions about whether alcohol-related hospital admission figures were national or local. There was also discussion about security checks at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the wording of a statement regarding safety for Londoners at night.

Further discussions from the previous meeting concerned the night-time economy and the vision for London as a 24-hour city, with a decision to remove certain paragraphs from the policy. The inclusion of initiatives like Ask for Clive and Ask for Angela was discussed in relation to sexual entertainment venues (SEVs) and LGBTQ+ events. The previous meeting also noted that Haringey Council had resolved not to have SEVs for many years. The minutes also detailed discussions about a responsible retailer scheme and the potential for a paid advice service for licensing matters, highlighting the need for additional resourcing and the importance of maintaining a neutral position for any advising officer. The previous meeting resolved to ask Full Council to adopt the draft revised Statement of Licensing Policy 2026–2031.