1.         PURPOSE OF REPORT AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.1      The authority is required to review the fees set for the administration and compliance check of the Animal Establishment Licensing. This ensures the Council complies with its statutory duty and that the licensing of Animal Establishments is self-financing, in accordance with the Council’s Financial Strategy.

1.2      A fees model, similar to the one used to first set the Gambling Act fees in 2007 was used to determine the proposed fees for 2017 onwards. 

2.         INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

2.1      The Animal Establishment Licensing service is required to be self-financing and the proposed increases to fees will ensure this is maintained.  

2.2      Where possible careful monitoring of income and expenditure has been carried out over the current financial year and the income from licence fees and associated costs, together with expenditure, has been in accordance with the objectives laid out in the budget plan and the inflation rate. 

2.3      A fees model, similar to the one used to first set the Gambling Act fees in 2007, was used to calculate the proposed fees and charges. The fees have been calculated by examining the time it takes to carry out the various tasks in processing the application and who in the authority is likely to carry them out. The hourly rates of staff are fed in to a spread sheet (originally produced by the national support body for local authority regulators, LACORS, to calculate the Gambling Act fees) to calculate costs for each type of activity.

2.4      The type of tasks involved in animal establishment licensing applications include: assistance to the applicant, checking of an application upon receipt, compliance checks and processing the application. Once processed, types of tasks include: preparation and issuing of the licence and updating the records/register. Training of Officers and Members has also been included, as well as the cost of consumables.

2.5      At the Licensing Committee meeting on 16 June 2016 Members set fees which removed the veterinary surgeon’s fees from the Council’s fees for riding establishments. This was done following a request from a riding establishment. The establishments are now invoiced separately by the Environmental Enforcement team for the veterinary costs..

2.6      Proposed Animal Establishment fees from 1 April 2018 are:

3.         AVAILABLE OPTIONS

3.1      The fees and charges need to be reviewed to ensure that they are set at appropriate levels to recover the costs associated with providing the service. Having reviewed the income and expenditure the options available are:

3.2      To propose no changes or reductions to the existing fees. This would mean there would be a shortfall in income against the budget set for the function.

3.3      To approve the fees as set at in paragraph 2.6.

3.4      To propose a fee regime higher than the cost of delivering the service. However, if the Council were subject to Judicial Review it would not be in a position to justify the fees that have been set.

4.         PREFERRED OPTION AND REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

4.1      The option set out at Paragraph 3.3 to approve the fees set out in Paragraph 2.6 to ensure that the fee income reflects the cost of providing the service.

5.        NEXT STEPS: COMMUNICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION

5.1      The fees will be charged with respect to new, existing and renewal applications from 1 April 2018 and published on our website.

6.        CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS

7.         REPORT APPENDICES

None

8.         BACKGROUND PAPERS

None