Agenda and draft minutes

The Minutes of the meeting held on 4 November 2024 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: CONSIDER the comments received during the statutory consultation on variations to hackney carriage and private hire vehicle and private hire operator’s fees as set out in Appendix A to this report and if any modifications should be made to the proposed fees as a result of the consultation responses.

The Committee/Commission considered a report (Agenda Item 4(1) concerning Variations to Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicles and Private Hire Operator's Fees. Ms Julia O’Brian introduced the report.

Councillor Clive Taylor enquired to the number of taxi drivers that were consulted and Ms O’Brian stated that 50 operators and 450 drivers had been contacted to take part in the consultation.

Councillor Paul Dick expressed concern over the number of responses. Ms O’Brian explained that the Licensing team had written to all individuals.

Councillors David Marsh and Taylor expressed that silence from the trade meant the Committee had to assume the taxi trade was content.

Councillor Stephanie Steevenson expressed that it would be irresponsible to suggest changes to the fees with the limited number of responses.

Councillor Dick proposed the recommendations within the report and this was seconded by Councillor Steevenson.

The proposal was put to a vote and the Licensing Committee RESOLVED that the Committee

·       CONSIDER the comments received during the statutory consultation on variations to hackney carriage and private hire vehicle and private hire operator’s fees as set out in Appendix A to this report and make no modifications to the proposed fees as a result of the consultation responses.

Purpose: To CONSIDER the draft policy which has been prepared in response to the Department for Transport’s guidance on “Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards”, and updated revised best practice guidance issued by the Department for Transport on the 17 November 2023.

This item was withdrawn.

The Committee noted the forward plan.