My understanding is that these new licences won't expire. Therefore LAs will only get one chance to collect the fee. I also gather that most LAs are saying that £500 won't cover their costs, and want to up the ante. That being so, wouldn't they rather fight to get the maximum fee, even if they have to wait longer for it.

The fee will ONLY last for the lifetime of the business. Common sense would dictate that when a new business starts on the same premises (i.e. in the case of a pub - a new licensee comes in) another fee will be liable. Possibly also new fee would be liable - when an alteration to the exsisting licence were made by the same licensee.

But you seem to be overlooking the fact that an annual inspection charge will also have to be set and paid for every licence. The loose figures proposed for this charge are is already set higher than the present alcohol licence and this is where the bulk of the revenue will be coming from.

And in the case of alcohol - there is also a personal licence needing to be paid for and renewed every ten years.

The cash cow is far from dead - just being milked differently elswhere.