The Regulatory Licensing Committee of Wandsworth Council met on Monday 16 February 2026 and approved revised licence fees for the upcoming financial year. The committee also confirmed the minutes from the previous meeting and noted the absence of declarations of interest.

Discretionary Fees and Charges 2026/27

The committee approved the revised level of licence fees for the 2026/27 financial year, which will come into effect from 1st April 2026 or as otherwise stipulated by statute. These revised fees are detailed in Appendix 1 of the report 26-56 - Appendix 1.pdf.

The report, a joint effort by the Executive Director of Resident Services and the Executive Director of Finance, outlined the council's charging policy, which aims to maximise charges for specific services to minimise any indirect subsidy from council tax payers, provided the market can bear the cost. The proposed fee increases are intended to recover the full costs of managing and enforcing licensing schemes, in line with the Supreme Court's clarification in the R (on the application of Hemmings (t/a Simply Pleasure Ltd) and others) v Westminster City Council [2015] case. This judgment established that local authorities can charge fees that enable them to recover the full costs of managing and enforcing licensing schemes, including the investigation and prosecution of unlicensed operators, as long as the fees are proportionate.

The report detailed the breakdown of fees into two components: the application fee for the authorisation process and the ongoing management and enforcement fee, which is levied after an application is granted. This split aligns with the requirements stemming from the Provision of Services Regulations 2009, which were retained in UK law following the UK's withdrawal from the EU.

The proposed fee increases are projected to generate an additional £6,000 in income for the financial year 2026/27. The Executive Director of Finance commented that these increases are set to recover incurred costs and are therefore expected to have no impact on net budgets.

The revised fees cover a range of public control licences, including those for animal welfare activities (such as dog boarding, breeding, and pet shops), special treatment establishments, auction houses, certificates for the shipment of bodies, and hypnotism. Specific fee structures are also outlined for sex establishments, although the report notes that the council has not received applications for sex shops, sex cinemas, or sex entertainment venues for many years, making accurate cost calculation challenging. Fees for scrap metal dealers and miscellaneous licensing, including pre-application advice for various licensing types, have also been updated.

The meeting was attended by Councillor Ffrench (Chair), Councillor Humphries, Councillor Sweet, and Councillor Boswell. Apologies were received from Councillors Brooks, Marshall, and McLeod. The meeting concluded at 6.46 p.m.