Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of this Committee held on 18 July 2017.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 18 July 2017 were approved as a true and correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To remind Members of the need to record the existence and nature of any personal, disclosable pecuniary or other registrable interests in items on the agenda, in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct.

There were no declarations of interest received.

Purpose: To review a request from the taxi trade for an increase in the hackney carriage tariff.

Councillor Graham Bridgman introduced the item (Agenda Item 4) by explaining that this Extraordinary meeting had been called in order for the Committee to review its decision at the previous meeting on 18 July 2017 to increase taxi fares subject to consultation and to consider a revised request from the taxi trade for an increase in the hackney carriage tariff. However, post publication of the agenda, the taxi trade had withdrawn their request. In light of this development, Councillor Bridgman asked Anne Marie Baird (Solicitor) to outline the process for this meeting.

Anne Marie Baird reiterated that it was for the Committee to review the decision it made on the 18 July 2017. This review needed to take into account whether the facts presented to Committee by the taxi trade in July 2017 were accurate and it had since been acknowledged by the taxi trade that there were some inaccuracies. This acknowledgement had resulted in an amended application from the taxi trade but, as explained by Councillor Bridgman, this had since been withdrawn in full, post publication of this agenda.

Therefore, the Committee’s only consideration at this meeting was whether the 18 July 2017 decision was based on inaccurate information (already acknowledged as such) and to determine whether or not to rescind this decision.

Councillor Bridgman advised that subject to a determination to rescind the previous decision, discussions could proceed on an informal basis between the Council and representatives of the taxi trade to form a proposal that could be brought back before the Licensing Committee at a later date.

Councillor Bridgman proposed to rescind the decision made by the Licensing Committee at its meeting on 18 July 2017 at it was based on inaccurate information. This was seconded by Councillor Richard Crumly.

RESOLVED that the decision made by the Licensing Committee at its meeting on 18 July 2017 to increase taxi fares subject to consultation was rescinded as it was based on inaccurate information.