Agenda item

Members Quarterly Update

To receive the report of the Corporate Director which outlined key licensing activities carried out in the last quarter (October to December 2016), including applications and service requests received, details of any enforcement work, progress updates on the work plan and any changes in licensing law.

Minutes:

THE Food, Licensing and Markets Manager presented the report which detailed key licensing activities carried out in the last quarter (October – December 2016), including applications and service requests received, details of enforcement work, progress updates on the work plan and changes in licensing law.

 

She referred to paragraph 6.2, Late Night Levy and advised that this matter had been deferred to Council on 24th July 2017 when the outcome of the ballot on a potential Business Improvement District would be known. She noted that the Late Night Levy in Cheltenham would cease  from 1st April 2017 in favour of the town’s business improvement district.

 

She advised that the Police and Crime 2017 had received Royal Assent.

 

She noted that the implementation of Sections 165 and 167 of the Equalities Act 2010 may require amendments to the Council’s Hackney Carriage and Private Hire policies.

 

Councillor Pullen referred to paragraph 3.1 and asked if that level of staffing would be maintained following the introduction of the Together Gloucester initiative.

 

The Head of Public Protection advised that Officers would not have specific designations but there would be a larger pool of Officers to react to Council priorities at any particular time. She anticipated there would be 7 or 8 Officers available for the City Centre and a similar number working the other communities.

 

Councillor Pullen observed that some things would no longer be done and other things would be done differently. The Head of Public Protection responded that Managers and Team Leaders would be tasked with working with elected Members to achieve this.

 

Councillor Tracey referred to radio and television reports that the City Council Licensing Team had been helping Cheltenham colleagues during the Cheltenham Festival race meeting and asked if this was a reciprocal arrangement.

 

The Senior Licensing and Markets Officer confirmed that the arrangement had operated for at least the last three years. County colleagues had assisted with test purchase and plying for hire initiatives. He explained that drivers could recognise Officers of the City Licensing Team but would not recognise Enforcement Officers from other districts.  

 

The Chair asked about outstanding taxi and private hire driving assessment and was advised that 25 hackney carriage drivers and 40 private hire drivers out of a total of around 400 had received suspension notices.

 

Councillor Gravells thanked Officers for the enforcement work undertaken in the vicinity of the Quays and he noted that some years ago Enforcement Officers from Liverpool had been deployed successfully.

 

The Senior Licensing and Markets Officer confirmed that Officers and Police Officers on joint operations wore plain clothes with the exception of Police Officers pulling over vehicles who were required to wear high visibility jackets.

 

Councillor Gravells asked if Uber were operating in Gloucester. The Food, Licensing and Markets Manager advised that they were operating in South Gloucestershire but no application had been received for operations in the City.

 

The Chair noted that Uber had been running a recruitment drive on local radio.

 

Councillor Brown asked if there had been any convictions under the scrap metal dealers legislation. He was advised that responsibility fell between Licensing and Environmental Protection and that there had been some joint activity with the Police.

 

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

 

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