Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from the Vice-Chairman, Councillor T M Cartwright and from Councillor L Keeble.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 9 May 2013.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Committee held on 9 May 2013 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

There were no Chairman's Announcements.

To receive any declarations of interest from members in accordance with Standing Orders and the Council’s Code of Conduct.

There were no declarations of interest made at this meeting.

To receive any deputations of which notice has been lodged.

The Committee received a deputation from Mr S Nelson regarding a petition submitted to the Council by Fareham Taxi Hackney Association (minute 6 below refers).

Mr Nelson was thanked accordingly for his deputation.

To give consideration to a petition submitted by Fareham Taxi Hackney Association requesting that the Council regulates the issuing of Taxi Hackney and Private Hire Plates in the Borough.

The Committee gave consideration to a petition received from Fareham Taxi Hackney Association requesting that the Council re-regulates the issuing of Taxi Hackney and Private Hire Plates in the Borough. The petition contained 141 names. Members' attention was drawn to the deputation referred to in minute 5 above. It was noted that the Government was undertaking a complete review of the law relating to the regulation of taxi and private hire vehicles and that a report and recommendations on the matter were due by the end of 2013.

RESOLVED that:-

(a)          the officers be requested to submit a report to a future meeting of the Committee on the outcome of the Government review of the regulations; and

(b)          the report include details of the number of licensed hackney and private hire vehicles in Fareham and what work would need to be undertaken in order to consider controlling their number.

To receive a presentation from the Director of Regulatory and Democratic Services on the responsibilities of the Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Committee.

The Committee received a presentation from the Director of Regulatory and Democratic Services and the Head of Environmental Health on the responsibilities of the Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Committee. The presentation included the functions of the Committee and the specific functions relating to Health and Safety, Licensing, General Licensing, Taxi Licensing and Elections.

RESOLVED that:-

(a)       the officers be thanked for the presentation; and

(b)       copies of the presentation slides be circulated to members of the Committee and to all other members of the Council through the members' newsletter.

To consider a report by the Director of Regulatory and Democratic Services on the Committee’s Work Programme for 2013/14.

The Committee reviewed its work programme for 2013/14 (copy of report lc-130528-r01-gwh circulated with agenda).

RESOLVED that:-

(a)       the report on taxi regulations (minute 6 above refers) be added to the work programme for 18 March 2014;

(b)       the six monthly monitoring reports received by the Committee be expanded to include some performance information;

(c)       Review of Hackney Carriage Tariff be removed from the work programme for 17 September 2013 as this would now be an Executive function;

(d)       Street Trading Concessions be added to the work programme as an unassigned item,

(e)       subject to (a), (b), (c) and (d) above, the work programme for 2013/14 as shown in Appendix A to the report be confirmed; and

(f)        the progress on actions since the last meeting of the Committee, as shown in Appendix B to the report, be noted.