Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors D Bebbington, M Parsons and T Beard.

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any personal and/or prejudicial interests in any item on the agenda

There were no declarations of interest.

In accordance with Procedure Rules Nos.11 and 35 a total period of 10 minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the Committee on any matter relevant to the work of the Committee.

Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a number of speakers.

Note: In order for officers to undertake any background research it would be helpful if questions were submitted at least one working day before the meeting.

In accordance with Procedure Rules 11 and 35 Mr Fiddler addressed the Committee.  He spoke on behalf of a number of hackney carriage and private hire drivers in respect of their concerns regarding the conditions of operation approved at the last meeting, and on the fees and charges to be considered later in this meeting.

To approve the Minutes of the Meeting held on 13 March 2009.

RESOLVED – that the minutes of the meeting held on 13 March 2009 be approved as a correct record.

To consider the consultation responses received and to determine the fees to be charged by the Council in relation to the licensing of hackney carriage and private hire vehicles, drivers and operators.

Consideration was given to a report on the responses to the consultation exercise on fees and charges and the Committee was requested to determine the fees to be charged by the Council in relation to the licensing of hackney carriage and private hire vehicles, drivers and operators. 

Further to the information contained in the agenda reports two additional items of information were circulated at the meeting.  The first was a schedule of comments/objections relating to the harmonising exercise, submitted on behalf of the taxi drivers, and the second was a breakdown of the costs used to calculate the base budget for licensing costs. 

In order to be able to properly assess the fees proposed, the basis of which was the reasonable recovery of the cost to the Council of the issue and administration of the grant of hackney carriage/private hire drivers licences, the Committee requested clarification of how the figures used to calculate the base budget for licensing costs had been calculated.  The Committee was informed that due to the difficulties arising from comparing three different accounting systems a more detailed analysis would need to be carried out in order to provide this information.

It was, therefore, requested that a decision on this matter be deferred for a period of one month in order to allow time for the additional financial information requested by the Committee to be prepared, and that appropriate arrangements be made for a meeting of the Committee to be held at that time.  It was noted that any licences that became due for renewal in the intervening period would be renewed at the existing rates.

RESOLVED - that a decision on the fees to be charged by Cheshire East Council in relation to the licensing of hackney carriage vehicles and drivers and private hire vehicles, drivers and operators be deferred, and that a further report be considered at a meeting of the Committee in approximately one month’s time.

To consider an amendment to the approved licence conditions for private hire vehicles.

Consideration was given to an amendment to the licence conditions for private hire vehicles.  At its meeting on 13 March 2009 the Committee had approved these conditions but it transpired that there was an error in condition 9.1 and this now needed to be rectified.

It was recommended that the words “which has been notified to the Council” be added to condition 9.1 (iii) and (viii).  The Committee clarified this further by adding “but not approved” to the additional wording.

RESOLVED

That the words “which has been notified to but not approved by the Council” be added to condition 9.1 (iii) and (viii) of the licence conditions for private hire vehicles.

To consider proposals in relation to medical certification relating to applicants for hackney carriage and private hire drivers licences.

Consideration was given to proposals in relation to medical certification relating to applicants for hackney carriage and private hire drivers licences.

RESOLVED –

1. That the application of the Group II medical standards in relation to applicants for hackney carriage and private hire drivers licences be confirmed.

2. That the medical certification form as appended to the report be approved.

3. That the adoption of the C1 standards in relation to applicants with insulin treated diabetes be approved.

To consider the proposed policy on convictions as they relate to applicants for hackney carriage and private hire drivers licences and licence holders who commit offences.

Consideration was given to a proposed policy on convictions for applicants for hackney carriage and private hire drivers licences, and licence holders who committed offences.    Members of the Committee asked for consideration to be given to the inclusion of threatening or abusive violent behaviour in the policy of relevant convictions and it was agreed that this should be investigated further.

RESOLVED – that the inclusion of threatening or abusive violent behaviour in the policy of relevant convictions be investigated and a further report be considered at a future meeting of the Committee.