To seek the Committee’s approval to the proposed schedule of fees and charges 2025/26 for Housing & Environment – Caravan Site Licensing.

To provide the Licensing and Registration Committee with the details of the proposed licensing fees and charges for the new financial year beginning April 2025, regarding Residential Park Homes. The Mobile Homes Act 2013 amended Section 3(3) of the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 and empowered Local Authorities to charge when issuing licences in respect of ‘relevant protected sites’ and to charge fees for the provision of other associated licensing functions.  The purpose of the report is to endorse those fees and changes to those fees and charges to take effect for the new financial year 2025/26 (as soon as possible there after taking account of legislative requirements).

Councillor Smith, in his capacity as the Council’s Portfolio Holder for the Environment & ICT, declared an Interest in this item as the contents of the report A.2 concerned matters related to the Environment portfolio. Councillor Smith thereupon withdrew to the public gallery whilst this matter was deliberated and decided upon by the Committee.

The Committee considered a report of the Assistant Director (Housing and Environment) (A.2) which sought its approval to the proposed schedule of fees and charges 2025/26 for Housing & Environment – Caravan Site Licensing.

That report provided Committee with the details of the proposed licensing fees and charges for the new financial year beginning April 2025, regarding Residential Park Homes. Members were reminded that the Mobile Homes Act 2013 had amended Section 3(3) of the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 and had empowered Local Authorities to charge when issuing licences in respect of ‘relevant protected sites’ and to charge fees for the provision of other associated licensing functions.

It was reported that, similarly to previous years, Departments had been asked to review their fees and charges on an individual basis as changes might need to be made to meet specific aims or strategic objectives or in some cases in response to external factors such as market forces.

That review of fees and charges has been set against the following key principles:

·      general inflationary increases where possible or lower where appropriate / justified;

·      amounts rounded for ease of application, which may result in a slightly above inflation increase;

·      on a cost recovery basis as necessary;

·      reflect statutory requirements;

·      increases where market conditions allowed;

·      to meet specific priorities or service delivery aims / objectives;

The Council continued to face a number of significant financial challenges in 2025/26 and beyond. It was therefore important that fees and charges were considered against this context and to maximise income opportunities where possible, albeit whilst balancing the various issues highlighted above.

Generally, overall, Officers had applied a 2.3% inflationary increase to the fees and charges, as most of the fees related to commercial activities and not the delivery of direct services to individuals. This increase reflected the estimated 2.3% published CPI figure for April 2025.

Where possible, the Housing & Environment service aimed to recover all reasonable costs. In several areas, statute dictated whether a fee could be charged and the level of any charge.

When setting the fees and charges for the new financial year, the responsible officer referred to the Fee Policy and the framework for setting the appropriate level of fee and charges. They carefully monitored the licensing fee income through the financial year, which could fluctuate depending on whether new applications were made and whether amendments were needed due to a change of ownership or a transfer of the licence. The income from the “Fit and Proper Person” applications was renewed every five years and a fee was only chargeable at that time. Therefore, if at any time, it was considered there would be a short fall between income and expenditure the fees could be reconsidered and increased, subject to notice and consultation, and implemented in the next financial year.

Members were reminded that Local Authorities were not allowed to make a profit from fees and charges associated with licensing of Residential Mobile Homes (Protected Sites) and must reduce fees if it was found that a surplus of funds had been amassed. This was monitored and was unlikely to happen as fees and charges were set in accordance with the Fees Policy Framework which was time specific and based on the hourly rate of the responsible officer, whilst any increase was calculated in accordance with the annual CPI and inflation each year.

It was moved by Councillor Davidson, seconded by Councillor Casey and:-

RESOLVED that the Schedule of Fees and Charges for 2025/26 for Housing & Environment – Licensing of Residential Mobile Homes, as set out in Appendix A, be agreed, insofar as:-

1)   the proposed fees and charges for 2025/26, as set out in column B of Appendix A, be approved with effect from 1 April 2025; and

2)   the Assistant Director for Housing & Environment be authorised to publish The Mobile Homes (Residential Protected Sites) fees and charges in accordance with the relevant legislative provisions.