The Licensing Committee of Wandsworth Council met on Wednesday, 15th March 2023, to review licence fees. The committee approved new licence fees for applications under the Gambling Act 2005, which will come into effect from 1st April 2023.

Review of Fees

The Licensing Committee approved new licence fees for applications made under the Gambling Act 2005¹. These revised fees are set to take effect from 1st April 2023. The decision was made after clarification was sought regarding the date mentioned in the report, which had incorrectly stated 1st January 2023. The Licensing Manager confirmed that the earlier date was an error and that the fees would indeed be implemented from April.

Members also inquired about the methodology used to project future income. The Licensing Manager explained that the fees were maintained at their current levels due to predictions of economic downturn and an anticipated increase in the closure of betting shops and other gambling premises, which is expected to keep the total income for the service stable. The approved licence fees are detailed in Appendix 1 of the report, Paper No. 23-120².