Agenda item

Report of Licensing Manager.

The Licensing Manager presented a report to enable Members to consider representations received following the statutory consultation period required under Section 70 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provision) Act 1976 on the level of fees for hackney carriage and private hire vehicle licences and private hire operator’s licences for 2011/12.

Members were reminded that at the last meeting of the Licensing Regulatory Committee on 17February 2011, the licensing manager had presented a report which concerned the setting of the licence fees for hackney carriage and private hire licences and miscellaneous licences issued by the Council. At that meeting members had approved the proposed changes to the fees. The approved fees were set out in the report.

2 objections had been received to the proposed fees and copies of these objections were attached at to the report.

In addition, members were advised that officers had originally recommended that the cost of a vehicle transfer be £176. However, since the last meeting, this had been reviewed, and the recommendation was that the current fee of £160 be reduced to £40. This was to offer an incentive to proprietors to inform licensing as soon as a transfer had taken place.

Members were advised that they must take account of the objections received when making a decision.

Members queried the reasons for the proposed increase which was above the latest available Retail Price Index (RPI) at 5.1%. It was advised that this was the first requested increase since 2004, and that the revision of fees was being sought as it had been established that substantially more officer time was being spent on hackney carriage and private hire licensing than was the case twelve months ago, and, taking this into account, the budgeted cost of hackney carriage and private hire licensing, and for miscellaneous licensing for 2011/12 had increased.

It was proposed by Councillor Brown and seconded by Councillor Day: -

"(1)             That the revised fee for hackney carriage and private hire licensing be approved as set out in Appendix 3 to the report.

 (2)     That the new fee structured come into force on 1 April 2011.”

Upon being put to the vote 4 members voted in favour of the proposition and 3 members voted against, whereupon the Chairman declared the proposition to be carried. 

Resolved:

(1)               That the revised fee for hackney carriage and private hire licensing be approved as set out in Appendix 3 to the report.

(2)               That the new fee structured come into force on 1 April 2011.