Agenda and minutes

No declarations were received.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Davenport, Tom Murphy, Morgan, Slack and David Stone.

RESOLVED –

That the Minutes of the Appeals and Regulatory Committee meetings held on 22 and 29 January, 2014 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Councillor Lang presented the Scrutiny Project Group report on the hackney carriage capping review process.

The purpose of the scrutiny review had been to ensure:

-        that the review process had the confidence of both members and the taxi trade within the Borough;

-                     that the review was robust enough to aid the Council with its aim of reducing the number of hackney carriages to an acceptable level that allowed the hackney trade within the Borough to thrive.

The recommendations of the Project Group were as follows:-

1.                That a clear comparison of the survey should be produced and broken down into each rank to aid members of the Appeals and Regulatory Committee at the decision making stage.

2.                That a clear written process be put together including the review’s inclusion in the Council’s Forward Plan in future.

3.                That the Appeals and Regulatory Committee consider taking action to resolve the number of hackney plates within the Borough such as removing the option to transfer the plate.

RESOLVED –

That the Enterprise and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee be informed that the Appeals and Regulatory Committee will take account of the Project Group’s report on the hackney carriage capping review process when considering and reaching its decision on future policy, in addition to the results of the Hackney Carriage Unmet Demand Survey undertaken in November 2013.

The Licensing Manager submitted a report for Members to consider the results of the Hackney Carriage Unmet Demand Survey carried out in November, 2013 and for Members to consider future policy on hackney carriage numbers.

In 2010, a Survey had been carried out which had resulted in Committee limiting the number of hackney carriages licensed by the Council.  Committee had also asked that a further survey be undertaken after a period of three years. 

That survey had been undertaken in November, 2013 and Members were asked to consider its findings, together with the findings of the Enterprise and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee’s Project Group, in order for a decision on future policy to be made.

The Committee took account of the Project Group’s report and agreed with recommendations 1 and 2 of the report.

Committee were informed that under current legislation it was not possible to take action to resolve the number of hackney carriage plates within the Borough by the removal of the option to transfer a plate.

*RESOLVED –

(1)                         That the limit of 110 hackney carriage licences be retained.

(2)                         That further measures be taken to resolve issues of concern, including the need to better advertise current lesser used ranks and liaison with other key stakeholders, specifically East Midland trains, to identify any policies that might further enhance the hackney carriage service to the public.

(3)                         That a further unmet demand survey be undertaken in 2016, to be funded by hackney carriage licence holders.

(4)     That a clear written process be established for undertaking the survey before awarding the contract in 2016 and that the proposed review be included in the Council’s Forward Plan at the appropriate time.