Agenda item

Approval of Licensing Fees & Charges 2025/26

 

To consider a report by the Director for Sustainability & Resources, attached as item 6.

Minutes:

The Licensing Officer presented the report explaining that increases proposed were in line with corporate inflation, the Council were responsible for issuing a range of licences and the charges were required to cover the cost of producing the licences but should not result in a profit.

 

The Officer drew Members attention to the part of the report that showed that Private Hire and Hackney charges were currently operating on a deficit but explained that this deficit was gradually being recouped.

 

When last year's Fees and Charges report was presented, the committee inquired if it would be possible to incentify the trade to use electric vehicles. The Officer clarified that it would be problematic to attempt this because an electric vehicle licence and a conventional vehicle licence cost the same to produce. As an alternative incentive the Officer explained that they were currently investigating if they may be able to allow electric vehicles to be licensed for 15 years as opposed to the 10 years allowed for conventional vehicles.

 

Questions from members

 

In response to questions from Members the Officer explained that the department recharges figure for 2023/24 was so much lower than previous years because there had been a staff vacancy within the department for a period of time.

 

The Officer also confirmed that although the licence fees for vehicles suitable for disabled passengers were the same as for other vehicles, all new hackney vehicles must be suitable for disabled passengers.

 

Members proposed that the Officers recommendations be accepted. This was seconded and voted in favour of unanimously.

 

Decision - Recommendations accepted.

·         Councillors considered the fees set out in Appendix 1 of the report to apply from 1st April 2025.

·         Councillors approved  the scale of fees proposed within Appendix 1 to apply from 1st April 2025 and referred these to Full Council for ratification.

·         Councillors noted that should representations be received following the Council placing a notice in a local newspaper setting out the changes to the street trading, vehicle and operator fees and inviting representations on those changes within 28 days then these will be considered by the Public Health and Regulation Manager in consultation with the Chair of the Licensing Committee.

Supporting documents: