Agenda and minutes

Venue: QEII Room Shoreham Centre

Contact: Chris Cadman-Dando
Democratic Services Officer
01903 221364  Email: chris.cadman-dando@adur-worting.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

ADC - LC/1/21-22

Declaration of Interests / Substitute Members

Members and officers must declare any disclosable pecuniary interests in relation to any business on the agenda.  Declarations should also be made at any stage such an interest becomes apparent during the meeting.

 

If in doubt contact the Legal or Democratic Services representative for this meeting.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest or substitute members

ADC - LC/2/21-22

Public Question Time

To receive any questions from Members of the public in accordance with Standing Order 11.2

 

(Note: Public Question Time will operate for a maximum of 30 minutes.)

Minutes:

Public questions had been received in advance of the meeting.

 

The Chairman read out the questions in the absence of the questioner:

 

What incentives can be given to encourage applications for electric vehicles in order to meet the 2030 government plan? The Licensing Officer responded that there were various initiatives on the Government website

 

Are there any thoughts or plans from the local authority on providing grants or any other assistance? Members were told that there were currently no plans from the Local Authority in this regard

 

I’d like to know whether there has been a decline in numbers of licensed vehicles for Adur in either actual figures or percentage over the last 5 years as this will have an impact on why numbers of wheelchair accessible vehicles are declining? Members were told that there had been a small decline over the previous 5 years with 1 private hire and six hackney carriages.

 

 

ADC - LC/3/21-22

Minutes

To approve the minutes of the Licensing Committee meetings held on the 13 September 2021

Minutes:

Resolved: that the minutes of the meeting held on the 13 September 2021 be approved as the correct record

ADC - LC/4/21-22

Items Raised Under Urgency Provisions

To consider any items the Chairman of the meeting considers to be urgent

Minutes:

There were no urgent items

ADC - LC/5/21-22

Review of Taxi & Private Hire Handbook pdf icon PDF 142 KB

To consider a report by the director of communities, copy attached as item 5

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Before the Committee was a report by the Interim Director for Communities, a copy of which had been circulated to all members, a copy of which is attached to the signed copy of these minutes as item 5. The report before members invited the Committee to review the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Drivers’ licensing handbook by reviewing the document and considering representations made on the matter.

 

The Licensing officer went through the report addressing representations in turn and asking members to make determinations in relation to representations received.

 

Members discussed a condition concerning the restriction of vehicles with a certain level of tint in rear windows. Evidence was put forward concerning both the levels of standard tint from main vehicle manufacturers and submissions from Sussex Police stating that passengers in the rear seats should be visible when looked upon from outside. Representations from the trade stated that the condition reduced the amount of vehicles available for purchase for use and that the cost of replacing windows was prohibitively expensive. During debate members learned that Brighton and Hove and Arun did not have conditions relating to the tint of rear windows and that five vehicles in the previous 3 years had been rejected on the grounds of windows with too heavy a tint. On reflection Members decided that the condition should be removed from the handbook. Members expressed that there was some uncertainty over the levels of factory tint, an absence of statistics to support that the tint of windows prevented crime and representations from the trade concerning the availability of vehicles.

 

Members discussed a proposed alteration to the intended use policy which sought to codify in the handbook legislation concerning the areas in which hackney carriages operated. Member questioned the officer and approved the proposed changes unanimously in order that Hackney carriages worked predominately in the area in which they were licenced. The report before members stated that any proposed changes would need first be consulted with the trade.

 

Hackney Carriage Intended Use Policy

 

? A hackney carriage vehicle licensed by one local authority may be used to fulfil pre-booked hirings in another licensing authority as well as on behalf of private hire operators licensed by another local authority.

 

? In order that the Council may retain local control and enforcement over the hackney carriages it licences and assist other licensing authorities with local control and enforcement, the proprietor of the vehicle will be asked as part of the application process as to which area the vehicle is intended to entirely or predominantly operate from for the purposes of fulfilling pre-booked hirings. It will be incumbent upon the proprietor of the vehicle to demonstrate to the Council’s satisfaction that it is intended for the vehicle to undertake hirings predominantly within the licensing authority area.

 

? If the applicant indicates that the vehicle will not predominantly work within the licensing authority area the application will normally be refused or if found to be acting in such a way the vehicle licence may be  ...  view the full minutes text for item ADC - LC/5/21-22

ADC - LC/6/21-22

Gambling Act 2005 Review of Statement of Licensing Policy pdf icon PDF 80 KB

To consider a report by the Director for Communities, copy attached as item 6

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Before the Committee was a report by the Interim Director for Communities, copies of which had been circulated to all members, a copy of which is attached to the signed copy of these minutes as item 6. Members were invited to review the draft statement of licensing Policy and invite Council to adopt the updated policy.

 

The Licensing officer introduced the report to the committee, summarising proposed changes and representations received. Members were also given an overview of the changing situation regarding gambling with an increase of online gambling and a decrease in traditional betting shops, particularly with regards to legislation concerning fixed odds betting terminals.

 

The Committee discussed the report and agreed to recommend the policy to full council for adoption

 

Resolved: that the committee recommend the draft statement of licensing policy for adoption by Full Council.