Issue - meetings

Report of Assistant Director of Regulatory Services and Community Safety

Purpose of report

In October 2022 the Executive agreed to commence consultation on proposed changes to the Council’s Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy (‘the policy’). This public consultation commenced on 1 December 2022 and closes on 31 January 2023.

Changes to the policy require approval by Full Council. The 28 February 2023 Full Council meeting will consider proposed changes to the policy. This report provides a summary of the background to the proposed changes to the policy, the consultation process being followed, a summary of consultation responses to date and the proposed revisions to the policy resulting from those responses.

The Council has a statutory duty to ensure the proper administration of taxi licensing legislation in the district. Taxi services are an important part of the local economy and therefore fulfilling this statutory duty contributes to the Council’s priority to ensure the district has an enterprising economy with strong and vibrant local centres. The primary purpose of the licensing regime is to promote public safety and therefore the Council’s work to licence taxi drivers, vehicles and operators also supports the commitment to work with partners to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour. Further, the proposed revisions to the licensing policy include measures to reduce the carbon emissions of the taxi fleet in support of the council’s commitment to protect the environment and to help achieve net zero targets.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended to:

1.1         Consider the proposed changes to the Council’s Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy and the comments received during the consultation process and determine the final policy revisions to be presented to Full Council on 28 February 2023.

Resolved

(1)           That having given due consideration to the proposed changes to the Council’s Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy and the comments received during the consultation process, the proposed policy revisions be endorsed for submission to Full Council on 28 February 2023 and Full Council be recommended to adopt the Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy.

(2)           That authority be delegated to the Assistant Director Regulatory Services and Community Safety, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Safer Communities, to incorporate the endorsed policy revisions and finalise the Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy for submission to Full Council.

The Assistant Director of Regulatory Services and Community Safety submitted a report to provide a summary of the background to the proposed changes to the Council's Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy, the consultation process being followed, a summary of consultation responses to date and the proposed revisions to the policy resulting from those responses. Changes to the policy require approval by Full Council and the prosed changes would be submitted to the 28 February 2023 Full Council meeting.

The Council had a statutory duty to ensure the proper administration of taxi licensing legislation in the district. Taxi services are an important part of the local economy and therefore fulfilling this statutory duty contributes to the Council’s priority to ensure the district has an enterprising economy with strong and vibrant local centres. The primary purpose of the licensing regime is to promote public safety and therefore the Council’s work to licence taxi drivers, vehicles and operators also supports the commitment to work with partners to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour. Further, the proposed revisions to the licensing policy include measures to reduce the carbon emissions of the taxi fleet in support of the council’s commitment to protect the environment and to help achieve net zero targets.

In October 2022 the Executive had agreed to commence consultation on proposed changes to the Council’s Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy (‘the policy’). This public consultation commenced on 1 December 2022 and closed on 31 January 2023.

The Assistant Director Regulatory Services and Community Safety advised Executive of submissions to the consultation that had been received before the deadline but after the papers for the meeting had been published. In light of these responses, seven further changes were recommended to the Policy. There were a further ten submissions which were not recommended for inclusion. Executive endorsed the further changes and it was proposed by Councillor Wood that authority be delegated to the Assistant Director Regulatory Services and Community Safety, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Safer Communities, to incorporate these areas and finalise the Policy for submission to Council.

At the discretion of the Chairman, Councillor Broad addressed Executive commending the addition of paragraphs relating to the protection of the environment.

In considered the report, Executive members commended officers for the hard work on the report and in particular the consultation and engagement with taxi drivers and those in the trade to build the Policy.

Resolved

(1)          That having given due consideration to the proposed changes to the Council’s Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy and the comments received during the consultation process, the proposed policy revisions be endorsed for submission to Full Council on 28 February 2023 and Full Council be recommended to adopt the Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy.

(2)          That authority be delegated to the Assistant Director Regulatory Services and Community Safety, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Safer Communities, to incorporate the endorsed policy revisions and finalise the Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy for submission  ...  view the full minutes text for item 97