Agenda and minutes

Members are requested to advise the Democratic Services Officer of any apologies for this meeting.

Councillors Blay, Crosby, Talbot, Vickers and Wittingham.

The minutes of the meeting held on 12 April 2024 are attached.

The minutes of the meeting held on 12 April 2024 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

The Committee is asked to consider whether by resolution to exclude the public from the meeting during consideration of the items of business marked with an 'E' reference because of the possibility of the disclosure of exempt information.  A draft resolution is attached for use by the Committee if it so wishes. 

Resolved: The public is excluded from the meeting when the Committee discusses the following items for the reasons set out below:

The Committee considered a report of the Director – Environment, Paul Barton, presented by the Licensing Manager, Joanne Brockley, which detailed the proposed changes to the Licensing Policy for Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Licensing.

The Committee were informed of requested changes in relation to the following:

·         Emissions Standard;

·         Vehicle Colour;

·         Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles;

·         Age of Vehicles;

·         Written Off Vehicles; and

·         Imported Vehicles.

Resolved: The Committee:-

(1)      thanks the officers for their report; and

(2)      approves the proposals as outlined within the report.

Prior to the consideration of the item, a representative of the licence holder attended the meeting and requested on the licence holders’ behalf, that the matter be adjourned and considered at a future meeting of the Committee.

Following an adjournment to discuss the representative’s request, the Committee resolved to proceed and consider the matter in the licence holders’ absence, to ensure the appropriate promotion of the public safety.

The Committee considered a report of the Director – Environment, presented by the Licensing Enforcement Officer, Lyndsey Gallagher, and Licensing Manager, Joanne Brockley, which detailed an investigation against an individual who was the holder of Private Hire Driver, Hackney Carriage Driver and Hackney Carriage Vehicle licences.

The Committee were informed that following information received from Lancashire Police and South Yorkshire Police, Licensing Officers had undertaken investigations in relation to incidents involving the licence holder.

In reaching its decision, the Committee took into account all evidence, the circumstances surrounding the incident and the relevant guidelines.

Resolved: The Committee:-

(1)   revokes the individual’s Hackney Carriage (HD0054) and Private Hire Drivers (PD3174) licences;

(2)   revokes the Hackney Carriage Vehicle licences to which the individual is the main proprietor (references HV0002, HV007, HV0031, HV0054); and

(3)   removes the individual as an additional proprietor on Hackney Carriage Vehicle licence (HV0006).

as it does not consider the individual to be a fit and proper person to hold such licences.