| Topic: | Re:Pavement Dining | |
| Posted by: | Francis Rowe | |
| Date/Time: | 17/01/17 08:12:00 |
| Agree that the move is ill-judged and ill-timed. To announce the move just as the increases in rates is being revealed suggests nobody has considered the economic impact. Also there is cause for concern over the language being used by Hounslow to justify the increased charges. The article on the front page reports that they believe that fees should be set at a level that covers the cost of the department. I am not entirely sure this is legal. There is a danger when government departments talk about profit and loss - if the idea is accepted that fees should always rise to the level that covers a department's expenses then it is highly unlikely that the temptation will be resisted to increase costs and overstaff a department. There may be someone on this forum who has better knowledge of local government who can confirm whether or not a rise in fees can be justified by the need of the department to make a profit. Even if it can members of the public can object to these measures on the basis that they should not be implemented at a time when businesses are already seeing rising costs due to the rates increase and the weak currency. In addition pavement dining is something that should be encouraged as it increases the attractiveness of the area. There is a link to the consultation document in the article on the front page and if you don't agree with the proposals you can email - Licensing@hounslow.gov.uk. |