Aberdeenshire Licensing Authority - Consultation on Licensing Fees

What you told us

We received 171 responses across the different licence types included in the survey. Most people did not want fees to increase, and some preferred only small inflation‑level rises because of the impact on businesses. This is despite the Authority’s statutory duty to ensure fees cover the cost of providing the service.

General Themes:

• Affordability concerns about the proposed licence fee increases.
• Accountability and transparency about the council’s costs.
• Fairness and proportionality.

Taxi and Private Hire Car Licensing:

• The significant financial pressures already faced by drivers.
• Impact on services for vulnerable groups and rural communities.
• Height of costs when compared to other authorities.

Public Entertainment Licensing:

• Impact of increased fees on community events and the local economy.
• Perceived disproportionate burden on small organisations and volunteers.
• Calls for greater differentiation between commercial and community events.
• Discounts to be applied to events by charities and voluntary organisations.

Other Civic Licensing:

• Impact that licences can have on already established businesses.
• Calls for higher fees for certain activities over others.

Miscellaneous Licensing:

• Policy concerns regarding the licensing of some activities.

The majority of the responses related to the licensing of public entertainment licences and the taxi trade within Aberdeenshire. The responses received can be found within Appendix 2 to the report which was considered by the Licensing Sub-Committee on the 12th of December 2025.

What we're doing

Officers considered the responses received and provided answers in respect of all the themes listed above and these were included within the public report considered by the Licensing Sub-Committee on the 12th of December 2025.

Officers reviewed all consultation responses and addressed each theme within the public report considered by the Licensing Sub Committee on the 12th of December 2025.

The Sub Committee evaluated these comments alongside its statutory duty to ensure fees cover the Authority’s costs. It agreed to implement the proposed fees, applying varying discounts for voluntary and charitable organisations applying for public entertainment licences. These will take effect from the 1st of April 2026, with inflationary increases thereafter.

Full details of the fees and discounts are available via the report and appendices considered by the Licensing Sub-Committee, these will also be published online prior to these taking effect.

The Sub Committee also instructed officers to produce a monitoring report on the impact of the new fees, scheduled for the 7th February 2027, before the end of the current Council term.

You can view the original consultation here: Aberdeenshire Licensing Authority - Consultation on Licensing Fees | Engage Aberdeenshire