Agenda and minutes

To elect a Member to act as Chair of the meeting

The decision:

That Councillor Tim Grogan be elected as Chair for the duration of the meeting.

(Councillor Grogan in the Chair)

There were no apologies for absence.

Councillors are invited to declare at this point any disclosable pecuniary interests they have in items appearing on this agenda, including the nature of those interests.

There were no declarations of interest.

To confirm the procedure to be followed at the meeting.

The decision:

The Sub Committee agreed the procedure for the meeting as outlined by the Chair.

To consider passing a resolution under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 excluding the press and public from the meeting during consideration of item 4 on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.

The decision:

That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public were excluded from the meeting during consideration of the item of business at minute no 6 on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act as the Panel was satisfied that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.

To receive a report from the Corporate Director of Environment.

The Chair stated that this hearing was a resumption of a matter initially heard on 19 August 2024, which had been adjourned to allow the driver to provide Members with additional information.

In making their decision, Members considered the content of the report, the verbal presentation by the Licensing Enforcement Officer on behalf of the licensing authority, the verbal presentation by the driver, the additional information provided by the driver, the Council’s Taxi Licensing Policy and the statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards issued by the Department of Transport.

The Sub-Committee acknowledged that the driver had not been before the Committee in any adverse capacity since first receiving their licence in 2009 and that the driver had an exemplary record with the Council.

Resolved:

That the driver was a fit and proper person to continue to hold a Hackney Carriage Drivers’ Licence, however Members requested that the Decision Notice act as a written warning as to their conduct.