Agenda item

Report of the Licensing manager.

The Licensing manager presented a report containing a schedule of the organisations that had applied for street collection permits in 2012, together with details of the Licensing Regulatory Committee’s current policy on the allocation of permits.

The Licensing Regulatory Committee was reminded of its policy with regard to the allocation of permits (minute no. 25, 1999/2000 refers) which provided:

(a)   That  96 street collection permits be available for allocation annually, as follows:-

18 for Lancaster, 18 for Morecambe, 12 for Carnforth and the Rural areas for national charities and 18 for Lancaster, 18 for Morecambe, 12 for Carnforth and the rural areas for local charities, which demonstrate that all money collected will be distributed within the city council district.

(b)   That, in addition, permits be issued annually to the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal: the Lancaster University Rag Appeal; the Lancaster, Morecambe & Carnforth Round Table Christmas Appeals; the Lancaster, Morecambe & Carnforth Carnivals; the Morecambe Branch of the RNLI and the Telethon Appeal.

(c)   That, if in any one year there are more allocations than permits available, then the allocation be determined by ballot, the Licensing Regulatory Committee being recommended to give first consideration to those applicants utilising their funds locally.

(d)   No charity to be granted street collection permits for both Lancaster and Morecambe in any one year.

(e)   That a charity which has been granted street collection permits for 3 consecutive years be granted a permit for the 4^th year in succession, only if no other qualifying charities would, as a consequence, be deprived of a permit.

Members were advised that there were sufficient permits available, in accordance with the policy, for all applicants to be granted a permit, although, in accordance with the policy those charities that had applied for permits for Lancaster and Morecambe could only be allocated one.

It was recommended that permits be issued to all applicants that had met the criteria listed in the schedule, and that head of Governance be authorised to allocate the remaining permits on a ‘first come first served’ basis.

It was proposed by Councillor Burns and seconded by Councillor Redfern: -

“(1)      That permits be allocated to the 5 national charities that had applied for a permit for Lancaster. 

  (2)      That a permit for Lancaster be allocated to the 1 local charity that demonstrated that all money collected would be distributed within the City Council district.

  (3)      That permits for Morecambe be allocated to the 2 local charities that demonstrated that all money collected would be distributed within the City Council district.

  (4)      That the head of Governance be authorised to allocate the remaining unallocated permits to both national and local charities, on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.”

Upon being put to the vote 8 members voted in favour of the proposition and 1 against, whereupon the chairman declared the proposition to be carried. 

Resolved:

(1)        That permits be allocated to the 5 national charities that had applied for a permit for Lancaster. 

(2)        That a permit for Lancaster be allocated to the 1 local charity that demonstrated that all money collected would be distributed within the City Council district.

(3)        That permits for Morecambe be allocated to the 2 local charities that demonstrated that all money collected would be distributed within the City Council district.

(4)        That the head of Governance be authorised to allocate the remaining unallocated permits to both national and local charities, on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.