Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillors D Bebbington, S Davies and G Wait.

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests in any item on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

In accordance with Procedure Rules Nos.11 and 35 a total period of 10 minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the Committee on any matter relevant to the work of the Committee.

Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a number of speakers.

Members of the public are not required to give notice to use this facility. However, as a matter of courtesy, a period of 24 hours’ notice is encouraged.

Members of the public wishing to ask a question at the meeting should provide at least three clear working days’ notice in writing and should include the question with that notice. This will enable an informed answer to be given.

There were no members of the public present.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 19 January 2015.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting held on 19 January 2015 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive the minutes of the following meetings:

Licensing Act Sub-Committee

27 January 2015

30 January 2015

General Licensing Sub-Committee

4 February 2015

17 February 2015

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the Licensing Act Sub-Committee meetings held on 27 January 2015 and 30 January 2015, and the General Licensing Sub-Committee meetings held on 4 February 2015 and 17 February 2015 be received.

To consider the proposed Mobile Homes Act 2013 Fees and Charges Policy 2015-16.

The Committee considered a report regarding the recently enacted Mobile Homes Act 2013, which amended the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960.

The Act was intended to raise standards in the industry across the country.  It introduced important changes relating to the buying, selling and gifting of residential caravans and the setting of pitch fees.  It also enabled effective enforcement action to be taken against operators who failed to comply with their licence obligations.  In addition, the Act allowed the Council to recover the costs of administering the statutory licensing function with respect to residential caravan sites through the setting of local fees and charges.

RESOLVED

(a)       That the changes introduced by the Mobile Homes Act 2013 be noted.

(b)       That the Principal Manager, Regulatory Services and Health, be given delegated authority to exercise the Council’s powers under the Mobile Homes Act 2013, apart from setting fees, until such time as the matter is further considered by the Constitution Committee.

(c)       That the Regulatory Services and Health Mobile Homes Act 2013 Fees and Charges Policy 2015-16, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, be approved.