THE cost of operating sex venues, pavement cafes, wedding venues and street trading businesses are all set to rise from next month.

The fee increases for businesses operating in Wirral were approved at the council’s licensing, health and safety and general purposes committee this week.

For some, it will mean new renewal fees of over £70 coming into effect, and there are added costs across the board for those running these types of operations.

These are the costs set to rise in Wirral following Wednesday’s licence review – all will take effect from April 1.

1. Sexual Entertainment Licences

The council has said the licensing function will be subject to increased staffing costs of 2%, with the council charging “at least” 1% more.

That means the price will go from £1,227.20 per year to £1,316 – £88.80 more.

The report discussed by members said: “The Council are legally entitled to charge such a fee for licences that they consider reasonable with a view to recovering the full cost of providing the service. It is therefore appropriate for the Council to recover all administrative and other associated costs.”

2. Street trading licences and consent

It’s also bad news for street traders, with both the licence and renewal fee rising, and a separate new fee introduced for those seeking to operate on a temporary basis.

The licences have now risen from £210 to £217, with the fee for renewal going from £68.50 to £71.

As well as that, a new cost of £70 has been introduced for traders looking to work on a temporary basis for a period of up to seven days. This, the report said, will allow individuals to trade at outdoor events that allow free access to the public.

3. Pavement cafe licences

Pavement cafe licences are for those wishing to put chairs and tables outside.

These fees will rise from £216.30 to £223, while the renewal fee is set to go up from £70.56 to £73.

4. Wedding venues

Fees for marriage premises licences have also risen – from £1,000 to £1,030.

All of the above licences last for a year, and decisions to raise fees at Wednesday’s meeting at Wallasey Town Hall were unanimously approved by the committee.

The fifth licence review considered by members was for taxi and private hire vehicles. Those prices, including the £187 fee to renew a taxi licence for a year, will all remain the same.

As well as those increases, it was also agreed at the meeting to introduce mandatory safeguarding training for taxi and private hire vehicles.

The reason is because “drivers can provide a very useful source of information to agencies and authorities involved in safeguarding children”. That’s because young people are “increasingly” being used by county lines gangs for trafficking.

Licensing manager Margaret O’Donnell told the committee: “It’s not about the drivers themselves. It’s about highlighting to them how useful they are to the community and what they see and what they hear can actually help protect young people.”

She said in recent times, a taxi driver in Wirral had played an “instrumental” role in protecting a young person in the borough, adding: “They want to see more of that and promote it through training.”