Agenda and minutes

Venue: Online via the Zoom app

Contact: Sarah Jenkins  01395 517406 email;  sjenkins@eastdevon.gov.uk

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Public Speaking

Information on public speaking is available online

 

Minutes:

There were no members of the public registered to speak.

2.

Minutes of the previous meeting pdf icon PDF 173 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 13 April 2022 were agreed.

3.

Declarations of interest

Guidance is available online to Councillors and co-opted members on making declarations of interest

 

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

4.

Matters of urgency

Information on matters of urgency is available online

 

Minutes:

There were no matters of urgency.

5.

Confidential/exempt item(s)

To agree any items to be dealt with after the public (including the press) have been excluded. Thereis one itemwhich officersrecommendshould be dealtwithin thisway.

 

Minutes:

There was one item which officers recommended should be dealt with in this way at minute 9.

6.

Quarterly update report pdf icon PDF 270 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The report from the Licensing Manager provided an update on the activities of the Licensing Service under the Licensing Act 2003, Gambling Act 2005, Taxi legislation and general licensing including Street Trading and Pavement Licences.  The report covered the quarter to the end of June 2022.

 

The Licensing Manager highlighted the following points in the report:

·         Officers are monitoring the situation with regard to the Levelling Up & Regeneration Bill currently passing through Parliament and have started engaging with premises to ensure that licensees are aware of any changes to the temporary relaxations and arrangements which have been in place.  Depending on the outcome of the Bill, licensees may be required to review their licences and make further applications.

·         Members were asked to consider whether they wished to maintain an annual meeting with members of the taxi trade through the Taxi Forum.  Officers will continue to attend forum meetings which are arranged by the Exmouth Taxi Association, now re-named the East Devon Taxi Association.

·         With regard to Councillor training, it was noted that Cllr Davey had recently attended the virtual training provided by the Institute of Licensing.

·         It was noted that an update had very recently been received from the Institute of Licensing regarding drinks spiking.  The link to the update would be circulated to Members following the meeting.

 

Questions from Members and discussion included the following points:

·         Regular meetings with the taxi trade were supported by Members.

·         Businesses which have had a temporary pavement licence under the recent temporary relaxation of legislation can apply to Devon County Council for a permanent licence should they wish to continue with the arrangement.

 

The quarterly update report was noted.

 

The minutes of the meeting would be fed back to the Taxi Forum.

7.

Report on hackney carriage fares pdf icon PDF 386 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Licensing Manager presented two reports regarding a further request from East Devon Hackney Carriage Licensees to increase the Taxi Fare Tariff and to adopt a new Fare Table.

 

It was noted that the Committee had supported the previous increase of 10% at its meeting in April and a number of licensees had now changed their meters to reflect that increase.

 

Discussion by Members included the following points:

·         There should be a pause before considering any further increases due to the impact on the public.

·         Taxi drivers who had already incurred the cost of changing their meters would be negatively affected.

·         Further information should be provided for the Committee before consideration of another fare increase.

·         The differential between the daytime and evening taxi fare tariff should be kept as there is a difference between daytime and evening users.

 

The Committee agreed to defer consideration of the request to increase the Hackney Carriage Table of Fares to the next meeting.

 

The Committee agreed not to recommend a temporary approval for using the higher evening taxi fare tariff for daytime fares.

8.

Confidential / exempt item

Minutes:

There is one item to follow which Officers recommend should be dealt with after the public and press have been excluded, in accordance with local government legislation.

 

The Chair thanked those who had been watching the meeting online.

 

Accordingly, the public part of the meeting ended and the live stream to YouTube was switched off.

9.

Suspension of hackney carriage driver licence

Minutes:

The Licensing Manager presented a report updating the Committee with regard to the suspension of a licensed driver.

 

The Committee noted the report and action taken.