Agenda and minutes

When the continuous alarm sounds you must evacuate the building by the nearest available fire exit. Members and visitors should proceed to the visitors’ car park at the front of the building and await further instructions (during office hours staff should proceed to their usual assembly point; outside of office hours proceed to the visitors’ car park). Please do not re-enter the building unless instructed to do so.

In the event of a fire any person with a disability should be assisted in leaving the building.

3.1             The evacuation procedure, as noted on the Agenda, was taken as read.  

4.1             The Committee’s attention was drawn to the Tewkesbury Borough Council Code of Conduct which was adopted by the Council on 26 June 2012 and took effect from 1 July 2012.

4.2             There were no declarations of interest made on this occasion.

To approve the Minutes of the Licensing Committee meetings held on 13 October 2016 and 16 May 2017 and the Licensing Sub-Committee (Street Trading and Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Drivers, Vehicles and Operators) meetings held on 17 October 2016, 15 December 2016, 23 January 2017, 24 January 2017 and 7 March 2017.

5.1             The Minutes of the Licensing Committee meetings held on 13 October 2016 and 16 May 2017 and the Licensing Sub-Committee (Street Trading and Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Drivers, Vehicles and Operators) meetings held on 17 October 2016, 15 December 2016, 23 January 2017, 24 January 2017 and 7 March 2017, copies of which had been circulated, were approved as correct records and signed by the Chair.

To approve the renewal of the current hackney carriage tariff until 31 July 2018.

6.1             The report of the Licensing and Systems Officer, circulated at Pages No. 13-17, asked Members to conduct the annual review of the hackney carriage tariff. It was recommended that the current tariff be renewed until 31 July 2018.

6.2             Members were informed of an error at Paragraph 5.1 of the report which should have read ‘All licensed proprietors of hackney carriages were contacted in March 2016 2017 inviting them to make suggestions…’.

6.3             The current tariffs were attached at Appendix A to the report and had come into effect on 18 July 2014. The Licensing and Systems Officer confirmed that there had been no significant changes in the last 12 months which would affect the tariff and no complaints from members of the public.  All licensed proprietors and drivers of hackney carriages in the Borough had been contacted and invited to make suggestions regarding the amendment of the current tariff; only one response had been received which had asked that the Council take account of inflation when setting the tariff. In that regard Members were advised that the consumer price index, the Government’s target measure of inflation, was at 2.3% in April 2017.

6.4             A Member noted that the number of hackney carriage drivers had fallen from four to three in the last year and, as no requests had been made to increase the charges, he felt they should remain as they were. Another Member queried why Cheltenham and Gloucester had three rates for mileage whereas Tewkesbury only had two. In response, the Licensing and Systems Officer explained that the third tariff was for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day which were particularly busy times in those larger towns. As Tewkesbury did not have the same number of hackney carriages, the tariff was kept as simple as possible.

6.5             Having considered the information provided, it was

RESOLVED          That the current hackney carriage tariff be renewed until                         31 July 2018.

The Chairman will move the adoption of the following resolution:

That under Section 100(A)(4) Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

7.1             On a proposal from the Chair, it was

RESOLVED          That, under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely discussion of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

To approve the separate Minutes of the Licensing Sub-Committee (Street Trading and Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicles, Drivers and Operators) meetings held on 17 October 2016, 15 December 2016, 23 January 2017, 24 January 2017 and 7 March 2017.

8.1             The separate Minutes of the Licensing Sub-Committee (Street Trading and Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicles, Drivers and Operators) meetings held on 17 October 2016, 15 December 2016, 23 January 2017, 24 January 2017 and 7 March 2017, copies of which had been circulated, were approved as correct records and signed by the Chair.