Number of licence applications processed by Shropshire Council revealed

Mandy Beever, transactional management and licensing team manager at Shropshire Council, provided a report to the Strategic Licensing Committee detailing the licences issued and the variations made between September 1, 2024 and January 31, 2025.

She said that officers use their delegated powers in a number of situations, including where:

• A licence has been requested and there have been no objections raised by interested parties or responsible authorities

• The application has met the council’s policy criteria for accepting an application

• There are vehicle applications for new or renewal licences and refusal, suspension, and revocation of licences where the operating criteria as set by the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy 2023 to 2027 is not met and the officer does not consider there to be any exceptional circumstances demonstrated by the applicant for an exception to be made

• There are driver’s applications for new or renewal licences and refusal, suspension, or revocation of licences where the criteria as set by the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy 2023 to 2027 is not met and the officer does not consider there to be any exceptional circumstances demonstrated by the applicant for an exception to be made.

• There are private hire operator applications for new or renewal licences and refusal, suspension, and revocation of licences where the operating criteria as set by the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy 2023 to 2027 is not met and the officer does not consider there to be any exceptional circumstances demonstrated by the applicant for an exception to be made.

During the period in question, there were 2,175 applications. This includes 1,388 Licensing Act applications with most (712) being an annual fee which is due each year for granting a original licence. A total of 480 tempoary event notices with alcohol were also granted.

There were also 510 taxi applications, most of which were for private hire vehicles (226). However, 16 were surrendered, as well as two hackney carriages.

Other licences granted include street collection, pavement permits, activities involving animals, and cosmetic piercing. Anything that falls under the Gambling Act 2005 was also processed.

Meanwhile, the only time the Licensing and Safety Sub-Committee held a hearing during the period was on September 3 to grant a premises licence application at Baker & Cook in Sheinton Street, Much Wenlock.