The Merton Council Licensing Committee was scheduled to meet on Tuesday 10 February 2026 to discuss proposed changes to discretionary licensing fees and charges for the upcoming financial year. The meeting's agenda also included a review of the minutes from the previous meeting.

Discretionary Licensing Fees and Charges for 2026-27

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to reviewing the proposed discretionary licensing fees and charges for the 2026-27 financial year. The report pack detailed the rationale behind these proposed changes, which included ensuring that fees remain reasonable and proportionate to the costs incurred by the council in administering and enforcing various licensing regimes.

The report outlined that annual reviews are conducted to fine-tune fees and avoid financial surpluses or deficits. It detailed the specific costs considered when setting fees, such as basic office administration, officer time for premises visits, third-party expert costs, liaison with interested parties like the police and fire brigade, management costs, expenditure for hearings, and general office expenses.

Specific licensing areas covered in the proposed fee structure included:

• Animal Licences: Fees for various animal-related activities such as boarding, breeding, pet shops, and riding establishments were detailed, with proposed increases reflecting changes brought about by the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 and increased veterinary charges.
• Street Trading: Fees for street trading licences, including shop front licences, designated sites, and temporary licences, were presented. The report noted that the Street Trading account is ringfenced and intended to be self-funding.
• Pavement Licences: The report indicated a proposal to maintain the existing fees for pavement licences, which were set at the maximum permissible levels of £500 for new applications and £350 for renewals or variations.
• Sex Establishments: Fees for sex establishment licences were proposed to align with the costs of award and enforcement, with a note that the council had not received applications for sex entertainment venues or dealt with sex shops or cinemas for many years, making precise cost calculation difficult.
• Scrap Metal Dealers: The report highlighted that fees for scrap metal dealers were increasing by a larger percentage to better reflect the true cost of delivering services, as previous fees had not kept pace with rising expenses.
• Hypnotism and Film Exhibition: Fees for authorisations for stage performances of hypnotism and for the classification of films not certified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) were also presented.
• Licensing Pre-Application Advice: Fees for a pre-application advice service, introduced in 2021, were detailed, covering costs for officer meetings, legal guidance, site visits, and application preparation.
• Gambling Licences: The report noted that fees for gambling premises licences were set in accordance with maximums permitted by the Gambling Licence Fees (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 and were proposed to remain unchanged for the 2026-27 period.

The report also included an Equality Analysis of the proposed fees and charges, which concluded that no potential for discrimination or negative impact had been identified. It also referenced guidance from the Local Government Association (LGA) on locally set licensing fees, emphasizing the importance of transparency, proportionality, and cost recovery. The report also discussed relevant case law, including Hemmings and others v Westminster City Council, which clarified principles around charging for licensing services.