Agenda item

That:

·       Members Agree to make minor revisions to the revised Policy and recommend that Full Council adopt the revised Policy

·       That public access to the report be immediate.

Councillor Hussain left the room at 7.42pm.

Councillor Davies introduced the item and moved the recommendation to adopt the revised Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy, incorporating changes recommended by the Regulatory Services Committee, including reclassifying slavery, false imprisonment and domestic violence within the serious violence category.

Councillor Edwards proposed the following amendment seconded by Councillor Cooper.

“Under the seventh paragraph on page 11, add:

“Hackney carriage and private hire drivers were added to the list regulated occupations by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order (Amendment) (No 2) 2002.

“Therefore, a conviction is never ‘spent’. This means that when deciding whether you can be licensed, we will always be able to consider a conviction you have had, regardless of how old it is.

“All types of criminal offences can be relevant, so we will take into account all convictions, regardless of your age at the time of the offence, sentence, or the type of offence.”

In paragraph 16.2.3, after ‘antisocial behaviour injunction/order’, add ‘Domestic Violence Protection Order’.

In the table at paragraph 19, under ‘Serious criminal offences’, add a new row that reads:

“

The amendment was put to the vote and declared as CARRIED by the chair with the voting being by General Assent.

An amendment was proposed by Councillor Cooper and seconded by Councillor Hudson:

“To restore the language around emissions standards and age to that in the 2022 version of the Hackney carriage and private hire licensing policy, namely in Appendix 4:

At paragraph 1, in the second bullet, replace ‘meet Euro 6 standards from 1 September 2026’ with ‘meet Euro 5 standards’.

At paragraph 1, delete the fourth bullet.

Delete paragraphs 3.1 and 3.2 and replace with:

“At the time a vehicle is first licensed (including changes of vehicles if not to a currently licensed vehicle), the vehicle must normally be less than 7 years of age. The vehicle’s age will be determined by the vehicle registration document. The age limit may be exceeded if the vehicle complies with all applicable standards.

“Once a vehicle reaches 10 years of age, the licence will only be renewed if the vehicle passes 3 compliance tests each year, at approximately 4-monthly intervals.”

And to make any consequential changes.”

Councillors, Cooper, Reed, Hearn, Ranger, Edwards, Fraser, Morris and Alley requested a recorded vote.

The amendment was put to the vote and declared as FELL by the chair with the voting as follows:

For Councillors, Alley, Campbell, Cooper, Edwards, Fraser, Hearn, Merali, D Morris, Ranger, Reed, Sims and Hudson (12)

Against Councillors, Davies, Drury, Giles-Medhurst, Grewal, Humphreys, Lloyd, Major, Martin, Mitchell, I Morris, Nelmes, Price, Raeburn, Rainbow, Scarth, Sian, Smith, Stungo, Tankard, Whateley-Smith, Winter. (21)

Abstained Councillor King. (1).

The substantive motion, incorporating Amendment 1 was then put to the vote. The motion was declared CARRIED by the chair, the voting being For 19, Against 0 and Abstentions 15.

Councillor Hussain re-entered the meeting at 8.19pm