Hi Shiner,
Silence was due to me being a taxi service over night and then off to do a favour for a customer so apologise for not answering this thread.
If licensing or any new law implementation a notice has to be raised and published in the local newspaper. For example a Council wished to implement the license a notice would have to be issued in the local newspaper with all details, then the window cleaners or anyone have xxx days to object to and ask changes to be made. Many do not know this proceedure if probably no one at all as the Councils keep this discreet.
This is the same with a window cleaners license application there is a 28 day period for any objections which comes mainly from the Police. You would have to have done some serious crimes to be not refused a license. The Police do not have the final say as the applicant if he wishes to challenge the decision can go in front of a committee which consists of around 6 councillors. They then make the final decision. If the applicant feels he has been hard done by then he can refer it to the ombudsman.
With licensing in Scotland it is under the Scottish Law and where Councils have the right to have their own license this is covered by one law. This law covers ALL in the Civic Trade from taxi drivers, off licenses, street traders etc... There is now way we would be able to change that law as it would take years to change it and a lot of legal implications. We are therefore stuck with this law so we have to work with Councils in making a less burden to us.
For example some Councils only offer a 3 yr license and not a 1 yr license so we are petitioning them to introduce a 1 yr license as well as a temp license. So if you worked in 5 different Council areas it would cost you around £200 a year, this cost as a business you include it in your pricing.
Now if the majority were licensed for the areas they work in then we would not have these silly prices of £3.50 per house, it should be more like £8.00 min. And also to benefit our trade the amount of licenses are limited.
Enforcement and running the license is very simple to myself, I do not know why it cannot be done and have many brilliant ideas of which some are now being implemented. The problem I encountered was there was no responsiblity in the licensing department, some thought it was not their job. Things are now changing as I now know how to go about getting them changed. They have NO CHOICE.
With the current climate change this year has been the worse for me and I cannot see the climate improving up here in Scotland. We also have a high percentage of unlicensed window cleaners who are only doing it for beer money and so Joe Blogss is spoilt for choice with the £2.50 brigade. The honest person up and down the country is keeping their head above water. If this continues many will have to quit.
Therefore it is more important than ever for the unlicensed trade either to do window cleaning as a proper job and get licensed and insured or get stopped from trading. Prices cannot carry on like this and a lot of us have mortgages and families to feed. I'm all for anyone being in our industry but they must be at the same level as all licensed window cleaners then they would find it hard to keep on charging £2.50.
These are not just my words but the views of window cleaners up and down the country. With few Councils willing to implement the changes we have requested it will be very hard for an unlicensed window cleaner to go unnoticed.
What we as an Industry need to do is stop looking at the negative but look for the positive and forcing the Police to take action.
Lastley I have a knack in finding information and even some times Council's have quickly deleted the article. I have access to all Council minutes and Police details. We also have now a one to one relationship with the Police. They will not tell you where it is but they have to declare all this information under the freedom of information act.Hope this answers your questions, I could write a book about this