Issue - meetings

Report of the Head of Highways and Public Protection

Further to Minute No. 19 of the meeting of the Licensing and Regulatory Committee held on 9 September 2019, the Committee considered the report of the Head of Highways and Public Protection seeking approval for an adjustment to the fees and charges for Taxi Licensing Services in 2020.

The need for an adjustment to the fees agreed on 9 September 2019 had arisen because of objections to the proposed fee increases received from 2 representatives from the Hackney Carriage Trade as detailed in Appendix 2 to the report.

Mr Terry Wood, Environmental Health and Licensing Manger, presented the report and advised Members that the objections were about two main issues – namely,

·       A recent judicial review judgment in the case of Rehman v Wakefield City Council; and

·       Release of insufficient financial detail to justify the proposed increase.

Mr Wood indicated that following receipt of the objections, the fee charges had been adjusted in consultation with the objectors and other representatives from the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Trade, with significant additional financial information provided to justify the proposed increase, as detailed in Appendices 4-10 of the report.

Mr Wood advised that an appeal against the judgment by Wakefield City Council as outlined in paragraphs 6 to 8 of the report had now been heard and the judgment released on 10 December 2019. Wakefield had lost their appeal and this judgment had brought some further clarity to the wider fees issue, as detailed in Late Representations.

RESOLVED:

That the proposed uplift in fees to address the estimated shortfall in income and to fund increased enforcement activity as set out in the report, effective from 2 January 2020, be approved.