Agenda and minutes

To note the following changes in membership:

Councillor Audrey Dinnall replaces Councillor Shuguftah Quddoos

Counicllor Maria Joannou has stepped down as Committee member

The Committee noted the following membership changes:

Councillor Audrey Dinnall replaces Councillor Shuguftah Quddoos

Counicllor Maria Joannou has stepped down as Committee member

Councillor Adele Williams – Council Business

To confirm the minutes of the meetings held on 3 February 2020 and 10 February 2020

Subject to the addition of the word “delay” at the end of resolution 2.i the Committee/ confirmed the minutes of the meeting held on 3 February 2020 as a correct record and they were signed by the Chair.

The Committee/ Board confirmed the minutes of the meeting held on 10 February 2020 as a correct record and they were signed by the Chair.

Report of the Director of Community Protection

Paul Dales, Chief Environmental Health Officer, introduced the report to the Committee looking at a Hackney Carriage vehicle licence - fleet overview and Allocations Policy development. He highlighted the following information:

(a)  The Covid 19 pandemic has impacted on the taxi trade and the wholesale replacement of the fleet required to meet the requirements of the Age and Specification Policy by 30 June 2020 that came into force on 1 January 2020;

(b)  The Council currently limits the number of Hackney Carriage licences to 420. The Age and Specification Policy which came into force on 1^st January means that licence holders had until 30 June to register a compliant vehicle. Due to the downturn in business as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic may licences have either been surrendered or lapsed;

(c)  To date 177 vehicles are compliant, 48 have been refused a licence due to non-compliance and have outstanding appeals before the magistrates court, 49 license proprietors have surrendered their licence and do not wish to renew, 5 licences have been renewed on non-complainant vehicles as proof of order of a compliant vehicle has been produced but delivery delayed. This leaves potentially 238 licences which could be issued with proprietors of previously licences vehicles being given until the end of the year to decide if they wish to licence a compliant vehicle;

(d)  There is currently no defined policy for the allocation of licences and work will need to take place to deliver one. Consideration must be given to what a reasonable policy will include, looking at a waiting list, when/how and in what order the applications are received, how many licences a single person or company can apply for, priority for previously licence holders or random selection;

(e)  Whilst work on the allocation policy is undergoing, another option to consider is whether deregulation and allowing market forces to determine the number of licences issued should be considered. Section 16 of the Transport Act requires the granting of a licence unless the person charged with granting is satisfied that there is no significant unmet demand for the services of Hackney carriages;

(f)  Should the Council wish to consider continuing to restrict the number of hackney carriage vehicle licences that it issues it would have to commission a professional survey to demonstrate that there was no significant unmet demand. An unmet demand survey in the Covid-19 related business climate would be unlikely to give a true picture and the survey would need to take place when the market had returned to a new normal. This may be late 2021 / early 2022;

During discussion the following points were raised:

(g)  A formal decision of the committee to deregulate the market would be needed if the Council chose to pursue that route;

(h)  48 applicants who’s renewal applications for non-policy compliant  vehicles have been refused  have appealed to the magistrates court. Due to the Covid 19 pandemic there has been a delay in court work and the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.

To consider excluding the public from the meeting during consideration of the remaining item(s) in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the basis that, having regard to all the circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. 

The Committee decided to exclude the public from the meeting during consideration of this/ the remaining agenda item(s) in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the basis that, having regard to all the circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information, as defined in Paragraph(s) 5of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.

Report of the Director of Community Protection

The committee noted the content of the exempt appendix.