Agenda item

Further to the above Minute, the Committee considered a report, which was presented by the Licensing Officer, David Smith, which sought members approval to approve the proposed revisions to the Council’s Hackney Carriage & Private Hire Licensing Policy with regards to setting out a timescale for the collection and consideration of information on the impact of mandatory CCTV, an emissions policy and an age policy for Doncaster licensed Hackney Carriage and Private Hire vehicles.

It was reported that Doncaster Council’s Hackney Carriage & Private Hire Licensing Policy was first approved for adoption by Doncaster Council on the 19th January, 2012 and that the Council also resolved to delegate authority to the Licensing Committee, to determine future revisions to this Policy.

At its meeting on 10th December, 2020 the Licensing Committee agreed to adopt a revised Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy with effect from 1st April, 2021.  However, during its consideration, the following issues were identified as potential areas for future inclusion within the Policy, but were not formally agreed:-

•        the mandatory requirement for all Doncaster licensed vehicles to be fitted with CCTV;

•        the introduction of an age limit of Doncaster licensed vehicles for both new and renewals; and

•        Doncaster licensed vehicles be subject to an emissions limitation.

Members were informed that a plan to consider the impact and effect of these proposals must be agreed by the Committee before they could be considered for future inclusion within the Policy.  A copy of the Policy and the amendments to the Policy, which was adopted on 10th December, 2020, were detailed at Appendix A and B of the report respectively.

In order for the Licensing Committee to lawfully consider any further revision of its Hackney Carriage & Private Hire Licensing Policy to include mandatory requirements for CCTV, age and emission limits for vehicles, it must be provided with relevant evidence to consider the likely costs and impact on both the trade and the general public, together with reasoned proposals.  Therefore, if there was a proposal to introduce any or all of those proposals, a period of consultation would have to be undertaken with relevant stakeholders, before a final decision was taken by the Committee.  Subsequently, it was proposed that Licensing Officers undertake the necessary research and present the information and draft proposals to the Committee prior to the 1st April, 2022 which would allow the Committee to be in a position to confirm whether it wished to consult on any of the proposals, before taking a final decision.

Following the presentation of the report, Members were afforded the opportunity to comment on the proposed revisions to the Policy.

RESOLVED that

(1)      a further report be submitted the Licensing Committee before the 1st April, 2022 to outline  the likely cost and the impact on both the licensed trade and members of the public, and draft proposals on each of the following considerations:-

(i)            A mandatory requirement for CCTV to be installed and operational in all Doncaster licensed Hackney Carriage and Private Hire licensed vehicles;

(ii)          A Policy which limits the maximum emissions levels permitted for Doncaster licensed Hackney Carriage and Private Hire vehicles; and

(iii)         A Policy which limits the maximum age at which a vehicle may be considered suitable to be granted a Doncaster Hackney Carriage or Private Hire vehicle licence.

(2)      the existing Doncaster Council’s Hackney Carriage & Private Hire Licensing Policy, which was approved by the Licensing Committee on 10th December, 2020 take effect on 1st April, 2021 and will continue to recommend that Doncaster licensed vehicles:-

(i)            Have CCTV installed to the specification included in the Policy;

(ii)          Comply with Euro 6 emissions standards; and

(iii)         Are less than 5 years old when first licensed and not more than 10 years old when an existing licence is applied to be renewed.

(3)      compliance with these recommendations shall remain optional for licence holders unless and until the Licensing Committee receives a further report and, after consideration, determines to change this Policy and gives notice of the change and the date when it will take effect; and

(4)          Licensing Officers write to all existing Licence Holders to confirm that the Licensing Committee shall, before 1st April, 2022, consider a report on the cost and the impact of implementing the recommendations referred to (2) above, as mandatory requirements of the Policy.