Agenda and minutes

Apologies had been received from Cllrs Caswell, Duncan, I Markham, Reeve and Wilson.

The minutes of the meeting held on 17 March 2009 were agreed as a true record and signed by the Chair.

RESOLVED

That Mr Bashir Badar be granted leave to address the Committee on Item 8, ‘Review of Private Hire Driver’s Licence’.

There were none.

Notice of Future Reviews of Drivers’ Licences

The Licensing Officer informed the Committee that he had suspended two drivers’ licences following their arrest for an assault and an indecent assault, pending conviction or court hearings.  The drivers were to be brought before the Committee in due course for a review of their licences. He had also revoked a driver’s licence following a conviction for affray.

Multi-Agency Checks

The date of the next multi-agency check on Hackney Carriage and Private Hire vehicles was announced and it was agreed that the Committee would be e-mailed the information separately.

In response to an enquiry from Councillor Conroy at a previous meeting, the Licensing Officer explained that VOSA did not categorise the severity of faults found on vehicles checked.  However, Licensing Officers would record their own observation relating to the degree of severity of faults at the next multi-agency check.

Future Dates

Committee members were referred to a request for attendance at a sub-committee meeting to be held on 30 June 2009.

Committee members were reminded about the Licensing training scheduled for 30 September 2009, which was mostly relating to the Gambling Act.

Report of the Director of Environment and Culture

The Licensing Officer presented the report to the Committee and explained the process and outcome of the checks carried out in the recent operation. He highlighted the legislation relating to the positioning of satellite navigation devices on windscreens; they should not be placed within the sweep of the windscreen wipers. He further reported on the addition of NBC fraud investigators to the operation, which had resulted in a number of drivers being caught for fraudulent claims for council-paid benefits.

It was noted that there were four or five such multi-agency checks carried out in each 12-month period, the dates of which were kept confidential.

Officers were thanked for their hard work in organising the operations and for the results that were achieved.

The Chair to Move:

“that the public and press be excluded from the remainder of the meeting on the grounds that there is likely to be disclosure to them of such categories of exempt information as defined by section 100(1) of the Local Government Act 1972 as listed against such items of business by reference to the appropriate paragraph of Schedule 12a to such act.”

The Chair moved that the Public and Press be excluded from the remainder of the meeting on the grounds that there was likely to be disclosure to them of such categories of exempt information as defined by Section 100(1) of the Local Government Act 1972 as listed against such items of business by reference to the appropriate paragraph of Schedule 12A to such Act.

The Motion was Carried.

Report of the Director of Environment and Culture

The Licensing Officer outlined the circumstances leading to the consideration of the suitability of a driver to retain his private hire licence.  He referred to the report that had been previously circulated to Committee members and which listed the issues that had been brought to the attention of the Licensing Department.

The Committee heard mitigation from the applicant and reached a decision based on all the evidence presented.

RESOLVED

That the driver was not a fit and proper person to hold a Private Hire Licence and it be revoked with immediate effect.

Report of the Director of Environment and Culture

The Licensing Officer informed the Committee that, owing to a family emergency, the applicant was unable to attend the meeting.

RESOLVED

That under the circumstances, the matter be deferred to the next available Licensing Committee meeting.