Licensing (Premises) Committee - Thursday 19 March 2026, 6:30pm - Buckinghamshire Council Webcasting

Licensing (Premises) Committee
Thursday, 19th March 2026 at 6:30pm 

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  1. Cllr Heather Wallace
  2. Cllr Heather Wallace
  3. Simon Gallacher - Principal Licensing Officer
  4. Lindsay Vallis - Service Director for Communities
  5. Laura Heller - Legal
  6. Jacqui Bromilow - Head of Regulatory Services
  7. Jo Bowles - Senior Licensing Officer
  8. Cllr Heather Wallace
Share this agenda point
  1. Cllr Heather Wallace
Share this agenda point
Share this agenda point
Share this agenda point
  1. Simon Gallacher - Principal Licensing Officer
  2. Cllr Heather Wallace
  3. Simon Gallacher - Principal Licensing Officer
  4. Cllr Robin Stuchbury
  5. Cllr Heather Wallace
  6. Simon Gallacher - Principal Licensing Officer
  7. Cllr Phil Gomm
  8. Simon Gallacher - Principal Licensing Officer
  9. Cllr Phil Gomm
  10. Simon Gallacher - Principal Licensing Officer
  11. Cllr Phil Gomm
  12. Simon Gallacher - Principal Licensing Officer
  13. Cllr Phil Gomm
  14. Cllr Heather Wallace
  15. Cllr Matthew Hind
  16. Simon Gallacher - Principal Licensing Officer
  17. Cllr Heather Wallace
  18. Cllr Dean Field
  19. Simon Gallacher - Principal Licensing Officer
  20. Cllr Heather Wallace
  21. Cllr Kirsten Ashman
  22. Simon Gallacher - Principal Licensing Officer
  23. Lindsay Vallis - Service Director for Communities
  24. Cllr Heather Wallace
  25. Cllr Chris Chilton
  26. Lindsay Vallis - Service Director for Communities
  27. Cllr Heather Wallace
  28. Cllr Robin Stuchbury
  29. Lindsay Vallis - Service Director for Communities
  30. Cllr Robin Stuchbury
  31. Cllr Heather Wallace
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  1. Webcast Finished

Cllr Heather Wallace - 0:00:00
Hello, good evening everybody.
We're webcast is now live.
Thank you.
So good evening councillors, ladies and gentlemen,
Cllr Heather Wallace - 0:00:12
welcome to this meeting the Buckinghamshire Council's licencing premises committee.
I'm Councillor Heather Wallace and I'm the chairman of this committee.
Please note that the meeting will be webcast as usual.
Agenda papers have been made available in the usual practise.
I will just run through the housekeeping notes.
So if you can turn your mobile phones off or keep them on silent, please.
When you want to speak, then if you can raise your hand.
Remember to turn your microphones on to speak and off when you're finished.
And if there is a fire alarm, then we just exit through the double doors and go and call great in the car park.
Okay. Thank you. Right. As normal, I'd like everyone to introduce themselves.
So to my left, Simon.
Simon Gallacher - Principal Licensing Officer - 0:00:53
Good evening everybody. Simon Gallacher, Principal Licencing Officer.
Lindsay Vallis - Service Director for Communities - 0:00:59
Lindsay Vallis, Service Director for Transport and Regulatory Services. Thank you. To my
right. Good evening. My name's Laura Heller. I'm
Laura Heller - Legal - 0:01:09
a lawyer with the Criminal Litigation and Licencing Team.
Hello, I'm Claire Grey from Democratic Services and I'm clerking the meeting today.
Good evening, I'm Jackie Bromilow, Head of Regulatory Services.
Jacqui Bromilow - Head of Regulatory Services - 0:01:24
Good evening everyone, Michelle Shelley, Licencing Manager, Taxi Licencing Manager.
Jo Bowles - Senior Licensing Officer - 0:01:34
Good evening everyone, Jo Bowles, Senior Licencing Officer.
Lovely, thank you very much.

1 Apologies for absence

Cllr Heather Wallace - 0:01:39
Okay, so we go to the first item which is apologies for absence. Do we have any apologies?
I thank you Chairman with apologies from Councillor Paul Gryphon, Councillor Mahboo Hussain and Councillor Tafel Hussain.
I don't know if there's any further apologies anyone needs to report.

2 Declarations of Interest

Cllr Heather Wallace - 0:01:58
Okay, thank you very much. Okay, so item number two is declarations of interest.
Has anyone got any, any members have any declarations of interest that they wish to bring to the attention of the committee?
Item number three minutes of the previous meetings.
Are we happy to agree the minutes?

3 Minutes of last meeting

You want to sign them now?
Okay, thank you.
Right, item number four,

4 Gambling Premises Licence Fees 2026-27

gambling premises licencing fees, which is page 9 to 306.
It's a report to seek approval from the committee
for the proposed 5 % increase
in gambling premises licencing fee for 2026 -2027.
The fee adjustment is intended to ensure the Council's gambling licencing regime
remains cost neutral in line with statutory requirements and the report
Simon Gallacher - Principal Licensing Officer - 0:02:52
will be made by Simon. Thank you Chairman and committee members. So as you rightly
said this report relates to gambling premise licence fees for 26 -27 and by
way of context the gambling premises licencing regime should be a cost -neutral
service funded from licence fee income so that costs do not fall to the wider
council taxpayer. The proposal is a 5 % increase to continue to cover the cost
of providing the service. Now turning to the executive summary within the report
as it says we're seeking approval for a proposed 5 % increase in gambling
premises licence fees for the period 2026 -27 with the aim of keeping the
regime cost neutral in line with statutory requirements and with an
implementation date the 1st of April 2026 if approved.
The main report paragraphs 2 .1 to 2 .3 summarise the council's role under the
Gambling Act as the licencing authority we authorise certain gambling activities
through premises licences and permits, process notices for one -off events,
register small society lotteries and undertake local compliance and
enforcement. The Gambling Commission separately licence operators and
individuals and take responsibility for authorising online gambling and other
remote gambling facilities. Within the report paragraph 2 .32 reminds members
that the Council must publish a statement of licencing policy under
section 349 of the Gambling Act. This must be reviewed at least every three
years. Our current policy was adopted by full Council back in last year 26th of
February and took effect from the 1st of April last year. Paragraphs 2 .4 to 2 .8
set out why the committee must consider fees annually. Fees for gambling
premises licences are set locally within statutory maximum limits. Those
maximum limits were last set in 2007. Back in 2024 the DCMS committed to
increasing those limits by 15 % but to date the required statutory actions have
not been taken to increase those limits. The Gambling Commission's statutory
guidance for licencing authorities specifically says fees setting must
be transparent and costs should be closely tracked and evidenced and fees should be reviewed
annually.
Paragraphs 2 .9 to 2 .12 of the report explain how the proposed fees have been calculated
and they reflect staffing costs and the wider support and overhead costs in delivering the
regime including application processing, compliance and ongoing maintenance, preparing and publishing
the three -year three -yearly policy and the fee setting activities itself and
the method method only that's been followed is the open open for business
local government association guidance which principles such sets up principles
such as proportionality transparency and accessibility paragraph 2 .13 notes the
licence numbers within Buckingham councils area has remained relatively
static. We currently have 30 betting offices, four adult gaming centres and three bingo
premises. The key financial point is at paragraphs 2 .14 and 2 .15 of the report. Costs are anticipated
to increase and if fees remain at current levels the service is likely to incur a deficit
and would require subsidy from elsewhere. For the current financial year, forecast income
is £19 ,339.
An estimated expenditure is £19 ,091,
leaving a modest surplus of £248.
To keep the position cost neutral
for the coming financial year, 26 -27,
and aligned to the Council's annual budget position
on fees and charges, the report proposes a 5 % increase
across all gambling premises licence fees.
Members can see the detail of the current
and proposed fees in Appendix 1 alongside the statutory maximum levels.
Paragraphs 2 .17 and 2 .18 highlight that some charges are set by central government, so
there's no local discretion, so for example, small society lotteries and certain permits,
and there's no fee for occasional use notices, which are used for infrequent track betting
events.
Paragraphs 2 .19 confirms there is no statutory requirement to consult public lien fee setting
under the Act and the responsibility sits with this committee.
The report also explains that no alternative options are proposed because the change is
considered necessary to maintain a cost neutral regime.
Section 4 of the report sets out the legal and financial implications.
Section 212 of the Gambling Act requires the authority to aim to ensure income from fees
equates as nearly possible to the costs of providing the service.
And a 5 % increase is considered necessary and proportionate, subject to the statutory
maximum fees, and that there are no net impacts on the Council's medium -term financial plans.
Finally, Section 5 sets out the corporate implications and highlights the importance
of adequate resourcing to ensure promotion of the gambling licencing objectives,
which includes protecting children and vulnerable persons from harm or exploitation by gambling.
If members approve the recommendation, the fee changes will be communicated to existing licence holders
and will take effect from the 1st of April 2026.
So in terms of the recommendation, the committee are asked to approve the proposed gambling licence fees and charges
set out in appendix 1 to be applied from 1st of April 2026. Thank you Chairman, happy to take any
Cllr Heather Wallace - 0:09:06
questions. Lovely, thank you very much. So I've got a question. Can you confirm whether a licence is
required for a fundraising evening, you know like a school or a charity event?
Generally not, most charitable fundraising events are exempt under the Gambling Act.
That's good, it's always good to get that clarified. Councillor Stutchbury.
Simon Gallacher - Principal Licensing Officer - 0:09:26
Cllr Robin Stuchbury - 0:09:30
Firstly, thank you very much for the report. The report, Wave I will recognise, is the 2007 Act
and the implications in the 2007 Act to track and take applications and fees and
that's in keeping with that. And as you said Simon, it recognises section
one of the Gambling Act which is to prevent harm and to source the criminal
disorder and it also ensure that gambling conducted in an open fair way
and it also is to protect children from harm.
And I think by levelling fees as we are,
we're carrying out all the appropriate actions
within the legislation, in which case I'd be very happy
to propose that we agree.
Thank you.
I've got another question.
It's just a general information.
Is there any increase or decrease in the number of premises
that we have in Buckinghamshire?
It's a general trend.
Cllr Heather Wallace - 0:10:19
Yes, as I mentioned in the report,
Simon Gallacher - Principal Licensing Officer - 0:10:23
it's pretty much remaining static.
I think we may have lost one or two betting offices in the last year or so
but other than that it's been pretty static.
Yeah and although we've got casino costs there we don't have casinos in Buckinghamshire.
Just clarification.
No we don't have any casinos and it's it's highly unlikely that we would have any casinos.
Good, good. Right, Councillor Gaughan.
Cllr Phil Gomm - 0:10:48
Sorry, Councillor Yavann. I'm going to follow alongside my colleague to the right and he proposed it.
I would certainly second that, but there are some questions I'd like to ask first,
just because I'm intrigued of what's there in front of me.
Adult gaming centres, could you just explain those slightly, please?
I know I've been on licencing for a long time, but there's gaming centres
and now there's adult gaming centres. What's the difference, please?
It's very simple. It's to do with the age restriction.
Simon Gallacher - Principal Licensing Officer - 0:11:16
So you've got to be 18 or over to go into an adult gaming centre.
Okay, have we got many of those?
Yeah, we've got a, I think I mentioned, didn't I, we've got four in the county.
Okay, and temporary use doses, what are they for again, please?
Temporary use doses are where you've got occasional gambling facilities.
I think it might be, so for example, if you're doing a sort of one -off casino type event, that sort of thing.
But if it was a charity?
Charities, yeah, charities are...
Still not so... It's for profit.
Yes.
Yes, and from memory you have to be a licenced operator to obtain one of those.
You've got to be licenced with the gambling commission before you can get the temporary licence.
It's highly regulated.
So, for instance, if you had a race evening and they had a tote there to work with that,
Cllr Phil Gomm - 0:12:16
Would they have to apply for, I'm just getting into a temporary licence.
Is that the sort of thing that would...
Simon Gallacher - Principal Licensing Officer - 0:12:23
Could be if it was commercial, it's for private gain, yes.
Okay. And then the other one I'm just really interested in this one
Cllr Phil Gomm - 0:12:30
is betting premises, track and other.
Now, betting premises as far as I'm concerned would be the same difference
where one's on a track or one's in a premise.
I noticed here that the application fee under the track is two and a half grand, a statutory
maximum, and then the annual fee is a thousand pound.
Then when you go down to Bet -in -Premises, the application fee is three thousand pound,
and then the annual fee is six hundred.
It's just, I find that quite strange that they're one of the same, but different prices.
Do you know why?
That's interesting.
Did you see? On page 12. So yeah on the right hand column so those are the
Simon Gallacher - Principal Licensing Officer - 0:13:17
statutory maximums so they were calculated back in 2007 set by the
government. They've sort of done sort of weird and wonderful calculations at the
time to work out the difference in those fees which is why you get that
discrepancy, the way those applications process quite different. The gambling
regime is quite complex in terms of the manner in which the applications are
made and dealt with. I think it's sort of reflective of the work that's involved
or the anticipated work that's involved. For us in Buckinghamshire we don't have
we don't have any of the track betting premises. Yeah, but I just think when you
Cllr Phil Gomm - 0:14:05
come down to our price, the council's prices, I'd apologise, you know in 25 .2
again application fee for track is 2 ,051 and then when it's another is
2 ,328 so there's a variation but you explained that they are quite different
down to workload to instigate those licences. Now I understand. Yes, yeah.
I see that as one of the same. Betting in the betting shop is the same as on a track
but I understand it's a bit more work. Thank you. Thank you. Councillor Hynde.
Cllr Heather Wallace - 0:14:39
30 betting offices across the whole of Buckinghamshire is that all there are?
Cllr Matthew Hind - 0:14:49
I couldn't believe it when I saw that. I thought there was significantly more than that but I take your word for it there's only 30.
Yeah there's, Councillor, there's been quite a dramatic decline in the number of betting offices.
this is across the board, it's happening nationally.
Simon Gallacher - Principal Licensing Officer - 0:15:01
Two reasons for it.
One to do with online, absolutely it's a big driver.
And also changes that were made a few years back to the rules around the types of gaming machines
that betting offices could hold.
I don't know if you remember there was a lot of debate about fixed betting terminals
that allowed high -state gaming
and people were losing a lot of money.
And once those were taken out of the betting offices,
I think that's had quite a dramatic impact as well
on the profitability of the high -street betting shops.
Councillor Fields.
Cllr Heather Wallace - 0:15:42
Thank you, Chair.
Cllr Dean Field - 0:15:44
I've got a question regarding the cost of,
the administration costs.
obviously that's gone up to 19 ,091. What was it in the last previous year?
Is the increase pure for the i .e. national insurance on employees etc?
Is all that taken into account? That's the reason why the figures gone up.
Simon Gallacher - Principal Licensing Officer - 0:16:15
Yeah so the figures, the main sort of driver of the cost of the
we use obviously you've got your salary cost but then we factor in all of the
relevant on costs so please like things like you say national insurance pensions
but also you know all the costs involved in you know running the service
Cllr Heather Wallace - 0:16:41
maintaining keep the lights on all of that stuff thank you and so I can see
Cllr Kirsten Ashman - 0:16:46
that last year the costs and the fees were fairly well aligned how confident
i .e. that the 5 % increase is going to cover any rises this year. I appreciate
that majority of that staff cost, I guess with the inflation predictions going up
quite a bit. Is there a risk that we've underestimated?
Simon Gallacher - Principal Licensing Officer - 0:17:07
The 5 % aligns with the council's sort of budget position for the
coming final year, we know how robust that figure is.
So we're quite confident from that point of view.
Obviously, at the end of the day,
the sole source of income is through licence fees.
So obviously, if some more betting offices close,
for example, then that could potentially impact income
into the service.
But obviously, we're projecting from the figures we've got
and the number of licence premises.
I don't know if you want to add anything.
Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, we're in a dynamic situation, aren't we?
And, you know, we have to deal with the best with what we've got at the time that we do
Lindsay Vallis - Service Director for Communities - 0:17:54
the work, do the methodology and the work.
And we are linking quite closely with the Council's, you know, finance business, our
finance business partners and our finance colleagues in terms of projecting, you know,
what that's going to look like in future years and taking this year and taking that on board.
So, you know, I think we're as confident as we can be at the time we do the work
And then as Simon said we have to flex with what comes through in that financial period
Cllr Heather Wallace - 0:18:24
Yeah, just just an observation I think nineteen thousand pounds is very cheap to administer
licencing licence premises for the county for the year I
Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:18:31
If you'd asked me to guess what that number would have been I would have guessed at a number substantially higher than nineteen thousand pounds
I think clearly you're running a tight ship there. So just on that it's a very
small part of the work that the team do so you can see the small number of
Lindsay Vallis - Service Director for Communities - 0:18:49
premises so you know proportionately it makes up a little bit of what they do. I
think that would probably be the feedback there. So more premises more cost.
Cllr Heather Wallace - 0:19:02
Just one question and it's not just about interest. Council agrees it's
Cllr Robin Stuchbury - 0:19:06
and it would have agreed a budget this is neutral in the budget.
Just the our agreeing tonight which I'm seeing you will do I hope so.
That doesn't it's not something that's counted against the sort of precept it because it's a charged income for a service
which you're to fill in the statutory duty to do is that correct?
That's what I think it is. If I'm wrong, tell me.
So I think the question was does the income cover us of the cost of the services cost.
Lindsay Vallis - Service Director for Communities - 0:19:43
It's a cost neutral service. So that's that's how licencing works.
So outside of the council's budget setting process licencing generally operates slightly differently in that the committee set the fees and charges.
So if you were to look at your budget setting papers that went through cabinet
and then to council the licencing fees would bet would would say subject to
licencing committee decision because you as a committee take the decisions here
to set those fees and we provide you with the advice and the recommendations
around that I don't know if that helps. I agree. Does that help?
Cllr Robin Stuchbury - 0:20:21
Yeah it does. I'm just running it through my head to make sure absolutely what I
think is correct is what is correct. It's always best to ask someone who might
know the actual facts rather than what you're thinking in your head.
Cllr Heather Wallace - 0:20:31
Cost neutral is our mantra.
Right, any more questions?
Nope, lovely.
Right, okay, so the recommendation which I read to approve the proposed gambling
premises licence and fees charges set out in appendix 1 to be applied for the first of April 2026.
I'll say it again, I'm seeing a bit of a microphone on.
Right, the recommendation which I'll read verbatim,
to approve the proposed gambling premises licencing fees
and charges set out in Appendix 1 to be applied
from the 1st of April, 2026.
Proposer, seconder?
Proposer, seconder?
Thank you.
And we'll do vote of hands.
So those for?
Yep.
Right. Okay.
So thank you, that closes the meeting.
The date of the next meeting we don't have on there,

5 Date of Next Meeting

but I think it's the 14th of April.
Right, thank you.
So that's part one done.
And I believe we have a second webcast meeting.