Agenda item

 To facilitate discussion with Members as to possible future reports to committee.

The purpose of the report was to facilitate discussion with Members regarding future items to be included in a work programme for the Licensing and Regulatory Committee.  (A copy of the report is attached to the signed minutes).

The Head of Housing and Public Protection identified a number of areas proposed for inclusion in the work programme, to aid Members understanding of issues and enable more informed decision making.  These included:

·       Review of locally set license fees.

·       Consideration of removal or amendment of hackney carriage zones.

·       Amendment of policy in relation to CCTV in licensed premises.

·       Review of Hackney Carriage Tariffs.

·       Review of Street Trading Policy.

Members commented that:

·       Many businesses had been hugely impacted by the pandemic which had also affected their ability to engage in consultation.

·       The taxi trade had largely been unable to trade during the previous 12 months.

·       There had been a lack of consistency between the support given to taxis compared to coach companies and the financial support had varied between Local Authorities.

·       The eligibility criteria for grants should be made clearer as many taxi drivers had applications declined for financial assistance.  Officers were asked to work with colleagues and Cabinet members.

·       Whilst there was much sympathy with the difficulties experienced by the trade during the previous 12 months, license fees could not be waived as the Council were required to cover the cost of providing the service.

·       It was easier to get a taxi in some areas of the county compared to others and it was queried whether the introduction of a single zone would assist this.

·       Any review of licence fees or other charges should not be introduced with immediate effect, given the financial struggles many operators were experiencing.

The following information was provided in response to questions from Members:

·       Currently there were 6 Hackney Carriage zones inherited from the former district councils.  This could be amended to a single zone, which would be of benefit to the Licensing Authority, increasing consistency and uniformity and enabling the issue of a standardised plate. The approach would also potentially benefit, operators, residents and visitors. There would be arguments for and against the introduction of a single zone, including the creation of a ‘honeypot’ location, as had been seen in Durham.

·       Locally set fees were designed on a cost recovery basis.  It was good practice to review these on a regular basis.

·       A maximum tariff was set for Hackney Carriages with operators being able to charge a lower tariff with perhaps the maximum fee being charged for evening fares.

·       A significant amount of work had been carried out with public transport operators to ensure they understood the latest Government advice and changes to regulations, during the pandemic.  Introduction of screens to separate drivers and passengers had not been made compulsory as it would be complex and costly for some vehicles.  Some operators had introduced screens, particularly in black cabs where the style of the vehicle meant it a screen could more easily be installed.

·       In order to aid the new online electronic application system, initially operators had been restricted to a one-year license to enable these to be processed in a timely manner, operators had paid and applied for a one-year license.  However, it had been agreed that this would be extended to the 3-year license on the payment of the difference between the two fees.

·       The lack of consistency was appreciated. The opportunity to implement a standard framework had been missed following the Law Commission Review in 2014/15.

RESOLVED that the following items be included in the work programme with the timetable to be agreed with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Licensing and Regulatory Committee:

a)    Review of locally set license fees.

b)    Review of Hackney Carriage Tariffs.

c)    A report on the hackney carriage zones, number of licensed vehicles in each zone and details of taxi ranks within each locality.

d)    Amendment of policy in relation to CCTV in licensed vehicles.