Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillors Duncan, Ford and Wire DL.

The minutes of the meeting held on the 20^th March 2012 were agreed and signed by the Chairman.

That Councillor Caswell, Messrs Hills, S Wilshire, K Wilshire, Maintsone, Ward, Russell and Shah be granted leave to address to Committee in respect of Item 6 – Hackney and Private Hire Age Limit and Engine Capacity and Associated Amendments.

There were none.

There were none.

Report of Director of Customers and Communities (Copy herewith)

The Chairman asked for papers to be circulated to Committee members, which had been sent to him via  email and some of the other Councillors by Mr Bruere. The Chair commented that any documents or notes should not be sent direct to Committee Members, but should be sent to the appropriate licensing officers in future.

The Senior Licensing Officer submitted a report and explained that on the 27^th September 2011, the Licensing Committee had agreed to consult on the feasibility on introducing age limits for Hackney Carriages and Private Hire Vehicles, to increase the engine capacity of Private Hire Vehicles (from 1400 cc to 1600cc) and associated exemptions. For clarification purposes, it was noted that Appendix 2, page 38, bullet point 4, should have read ‘If an upper age limit of 12 years’ and not 10 years as stated in the report. 

The Committee had requested that all interested parties be given the opportunity to feedback any concerns or opinions to the Committee as part of the consultation period which had run from the 5^th December 2011 to the 29^th February 2012 - the key findings of which had been summarised in the Executive Summary of Appendix 2.

It was explained that over 1000 letters had been sent out by officers to the trade and a number of adverts placed in the Northampton Chronicle and Echo as part of the consultation including local radio broadcasts . It was noted that there had been a good response rate, which included over 900 comments,  which had  been submitted – attached at Appendix 3a of the report. It was further noted that vehicle-testing reports from both the contracted MOT inspectors, for Hackney and Private Hire Vehicles, Jackson MOT Centre and NCS MOT Centre, had been obtained as part of the consultation. The Senior Licensing Officer read out the proposed recommendations as set out in the report.

The Chairman introduced Councillor Caswell as the former Chair of the Licensing Committee – who was the Chair at the meeting of the 27^th September 2012 where Committee had resolved to proceed with the consultation.

Councillor Caswell addressed the Committee and encouraged continued work between the Licensing Department and the Taxi Trade. He commented that he wanted to see a good standard of Private Hire Vehicles and Hackney Carriages on the road and that were maintained to a high standard. He further commented that some drivers were themselves aggrieved by the standard and maintenance of some vehicles and wanted to see a well-presented fleet of Hackneys and Private Hire Vehicles in Northampton.  He requested that the Committee continue to work together with Private Hire and Hackney carriage drivers.

Mr Hills (Secretary - Northampton Hackney Carriage Association) addressed the Committee and commented that he had been disappointed with the consultation and commented that he considered face-to-face meetings with those affected to have been more appropriate. He expressed concern that the current Council’s policy, with regards to Hackney carriages, stipulated that the carriages must be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

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.