Agenda and minutes

To receive from Members, declarations of the existence of any disclosable pecuniary, or nonpecuniary, interests and the nature of those interests in relation to any agenda item. Please see Agenda Notes.

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday, September 13, 2022.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 13 September 202 were confirmed and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the following Licensing Sub-Committee.

- Monday 21 November

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Licensing Sub-Committee meeting held on 21 November 2022 were received.

To receive any questions from members of the public provided that a question does not relate to:

-       Matters which are the subject of current or pending legal proceedings or

-       Matters relating to employees or former employees of the Council or comments in respect of individual Council Officers.

To ask a question at this meeting, please submit it to democratic.services@gloucester.gov.uk by 12pm on LOOK UP DATE  January 2023 or telephone 01452 396203 for support.

There were no public questions.

To receive any petitions and deputations provided that no such petition or deputation is in relation to:

-        Matters relating to individual Council Officers, or

-       Matters relating to current or pending legal proceedings. To present a petition or deputation at this meeting, please submit it to democratic.services@gloucester.gov.uk by 12 noon on FIND DATE January 2023.

There were no petitions nor deputations.

To receive the report of the Director of Communities, the purpose of which is to outline to members a proposal submitted by Gloucester Hackney Carriage Association (GHCA) for an increase to the current Hackney Carriage tariff.

The Licensing Team Leader presented the report which outlined to members a proposal submitted by Gloucester Hackney Carriage Association (GHCA) for an increase to the current Hackney Carriage tariff.

Councillor Radley pointed to the different types of tariffs (1, 2 and 3) outlined in paragraph 3.6 of the report. She asked for clarification as to what these tariffs were. Through the Chair, the Gloucester Hackney Carriage Association representative stated that the tariffs outlined in the report related to the time a journey took place. He stated that tariff 1 was the normal daytime rate, which was applicable for any journey conducted between 7 am – 9 pm in Gloucester. He added that tariff 1 journeys in Cheltenham were journeys conducted between 7 am – 8 pm and for Stroud, their tariff 1 rate was for journeys between 7 am and 6 pm. He stated that Gloucester had kept the same times for tariff 1 journeys for 25 years and that they were not proposing changing this. He added that tariff 3 journeys were journeys conducted on occasions such as Bank Holidays, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Councillor Patel stated that he believed that the proposed 10% increase to taxi tariff rates was reasonable, considering the rising cost of fuel and cost of living pressures. He noted that he was surprised that it was lower than the neighbouring districts and stated that he would support the proposal outlined in the officer’s report.

The recommendations outlined in the report were put to a vote and passed.

RESOLVED that:

The proposed increase to the Hackney Carriage tariff is advertised as a public notice in accordance with the requirements of Section 65, Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976.

AND

If no objections are received from the public within 14 days of publication of the notice that the proposed tariff will come into effect from 1st March 2023.

OR

If objections are received within the 14 days, then the matter will be considered further at the March meeting of the Licensing and Enforcement Committee.

To receive the report of the Director of Communities which outlines to members details of key Licensing Activities carried out from 1 September 2022 to 30 November 2022, including applications and service requests received, details of any enforcement work, progress updates of the work plan and any changes in Licensing Law.

The Licensing Team Leader asked if any Member had a query on the content of the Quarterly Update.

Members indicated that they had read the report and understood its content.

RESOLVED that the Licensing and Enforcement Committee note the contents of the report.

To consider the following resolution should members wish to discuss agenda item 10.

“That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during the following item of business on the grounds that it is likely, in view of the nature of proceeding, that if members of the press or public are present during consideration of this item there will be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1, 2, 3 & 7 of Part 1 of Schedule12A of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended.”

No Member indicated that they wished to discuss the content of the exempt minutes. Therefore, it was not necessary to exclude the press and public.

To receive the exempt minutes of the following meetings of the Licensing and Enforcement Sub-Committee, if members decide they wish to discuss them:  

-       17 October 2022

-       16 November 2022

RESOLVED as per the exempt minutes.

Tuesday, 14 March 2023 at 6.30pm.