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30
Jul
Council approves hike in outdoor seating licence cost for pubs and cafes
Bars and cafes are set to pay more to have outdoor seating after council officials approved measures to more than triple the cost.
North Yorkshire Council officers have approved plans to increase the fees for pavement licences after they said the system needs to be “harmonised” across the county.
The move will see the cost rise to £400 for a new licence and £305 for a renewal.
At present, businesses are charged between £0 and £100, with the current fees set by North Yorkshire’s former borough and district councils.
In a report, Gareth Bentley, head of licensing, said the increase is needed to ensure the authority covers the cost of issuing the licences.
He said:
Prior to local government reorganisation in North Yorkshire, the seven district licensing authorities operated different pavement licensing regimes, the cost of which was recovered from permit holders in accordance with district authority calculations.
Some did not charge a fee at all. The different area fees for pavement licensing remain.
Now, North Yorkshire has one licensing team, it is important to harmonise the pavement licence fee throughout the council area.
Mr Bentley added:
It is essential to a well-functioning licensing service that those administering and enforcing the regime are well-resourced. Licensing authorities are expected to regularly review their fees to reflect changes to costs.
Council officials say the proposed fees have been calculated with a view to recovering all costs associated with issuing the licences.
The new fees are set to be introduced from August 1, with the council able to issue licences for up to two years.
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