Agenda for Regulatory and Appeals Committee on Tuesday, 27th November, 2018, 10.30 am

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Ground Floor Committee Room - Loxley House, Station Street, Nottingham, NG2 3NG. View directions

Contact: Mark Leavesley  Governance Officer

Items
No. Item

17.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

Councillor Ibrahim  -  unwell

Councillor Jenkins  )  work commitment

Councillor Raine  )

Councillor Woodings  -  other Council business

Councillor Neal  )  personal

Councillor Williams  )

18.

Declarations of interests

If you need advice on declaring an interest, please contact the Governance Officer above, if possible before the day of the meeting

Minutes:

None.

19.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 225 KB

Last meeting held on 08 October 2018 (for confirmation)

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 08 October 2018 were agreed as a correct record and were signed by the Chair.

20.

Licensing of Private Hire Vehicles pdf icon PDF 231 KB

Report of Director of Community Protection

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Angela Rawson, Regional Licensing and Policy Manager, presented the report of the Corporate Director of Community Protection, which sought an amendment to the current vehicle specification for the licensing of private hire vehicles to include hybrid vehicles with a minimum engine capacity of 1,400cc.

 

Ms Rawson stated that licensing a range of vehicles with differing engine capacities gave manufacturers the ability to introduce more vehicles which may be more environmentally friendly in respect of CO2 emissions, together with giving proprietors, operators and customers a wider choice of vehicle.

 

The Department of Transport, in its ‘Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing - Best

Practice Guidance - March 2010’, encourages Council’s to adopt the principle of specifying as many different types of vehicle as possible. This enables the Council to not only approve a range of general use petrol/diesel vehicles, but also encourages the use of more efficient, greener options, such as the hybrid versions that are becoming a more popular driver choice. With the advancements in engine technology and the efficiencies of hybrid options, manufacturers are able to introduce reduced engine capacities, particularly in diesel versions, which in turn supports a greener environment.

 

RESOLVED to replace the current ‘General Vehicle Specification for private hire vehicles’ (at appendix 1) and adopt in substitution the ‘General Vehicle Specification for private hire vehicles’ in the form at appendix 2.

21.

Hackney Carriage fare tariff increase pdf icon PDF 226 KB

Report of Director of Community Protection

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Angela Rawson, Regional Licensing and Policy Manager, presented the report of the Corporate Director of Community Protection, which requested Committee consider authorising an increase in the hackney carriage fares, sought by Nottingham Licensed Taxi Owners Association and the Unite Union. 

 

Ms Rawson stated that although the proposal will increase the cost of journeys for the fare paying public, the increase in fares would allow the hackney carriage proprietors to maintain their vehicles in good order for the benefit of the wider public, and help enable fulfilment of the requirements of the changes to the ‘Age and Emissions Policy’, approved by this Committee on 18 December 2017. The Committee were informed that there had not been an increase in the ‘Table of Fares’ since 2011 and that inflationary pressure and running and maintenance costs had grown considerably in that time. Further delay in increasing the rates would result in these pressures continuing to grow and lead to steeper increases of fares in the future, which would be unacceptable to the public.

 

The Committee noted the legislative process that would need to be followed if Committee were to approve the proposal sought. In the interest of flexibility and expediency in considering any non-withdrawn representation, before the proposed ‘Table of Fares’ could be brought into effect, with or without any necessary modification, Committee understood the intention to delegate a final decision on such matters to the Director of Community Protection, in consultation with the Chair, Vice-Chair and Opposition Spokesperson.

 

RESOLVED

 

1)  that the hackney carriage ‘Table of Fares’, as varied in appendix 1(b), be approved, subject to:

 

(i)  publication and display, in accordance with section 65 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, of a Notice in the form attached at appendix 2; and

 

(ii)  no objections being made within the period and manner specified in the Notice, to come into force from 06:00 hours on 17 December 2018; or

 

(iii)  if any objections made are withdrawn, to take effect on the date of withdrawal of the last objection, if later than 06:00 hours on 17 December 2018; or

 

(iv)  if any objections made are not withdrawn, after consideration of the objection(s), to come into force, with or without modification, no later than 2 months after first publication of the Notice.

 

2)  that consideration of any objections made and not withdrawn and final decisions on the Table of Fares with or without modification, be delegated to the Director of Community Protection, in consultation with the Chair, Vice-Chair and Opposition Spokesperson;

 

3)  that delegated authority be given to the Director of Community Protection to advertise the hackney carriage ‘Table of Fares’, as varied in appendix 1(b) in accordance with section 65 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976.