The Committee agreed to elect Councillor Colin Cook as Chair for the Council Year 2012/13.

The Committee agreed to elect Councillor Mike Gotch as Vice-Chair for the Council Year 2012/13.

The Quroum for this meeting is 4.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Mark Lygo.

Councillors serving on the Committee are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they may have in any of the following agenda items.  Guidance on declaring interests is attached to this agenda.

None declared.

The Head of Law and Governance will report on this item.

The Head of Law and Governance informed the Committee that full Council had agreed to change the reporting route concerning licensing policy, namely that consideration of reports concerning the making of, or any changes to policies would now be undertaken by the City Executive Board which would then make recommendations to full Council which had responsibility for setting policies and any changes.

Members of the Committee were of the understanding that licensing policies etc. would still come to the General Purposes Licensing Committee, to allow it to make comments, which would be passed to the City Executive Board to consider when making its recommendations to full Council.

The Committee agreed to inform the City Executive Board of its wish to continue to receive reports concerning draft polices and proposed changes to existing policies before they were presented to the City Executive Board, as Members felt that they were best placed in the first instance to make comments as they undertook licensing responsibilities such as attending hearings etc. on a regular basis.

The Head of Law and Governance has submitted a report, the purpose of which is to establish Sub-Committees for the 2012-13 Council Year, to deal with the casework flowing from the Committee’s own responsibilities.

The Committee is asked:

(a)       To establish a Hackney Carriages and Private Hire Licensing Sub-Committee for the Council Year 2012-13, to agree its powers and duties and to appoint members to it on the basis of political balance where possible and practical;

(b)       To establish a Licensing and Registration Sub-Committee for the Council Year 2012-13, to agree its powers and duties and to appoint members to it on the basis of political balance where possible and practical.

The Head of Law and Governance submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) the purpose of which was to establish Sub-Committees for the 2012/13 Council Year, to deal with the casework flowing from the Committees own responsibilities.

The Committee agreed:

(a)       To establish a Hackney Carriages and Private Hire Licensing Sub committee for the Council Year 2012/13, and agreed its powers and duties, and to appoint members to it on the basis of political balance where possible and practical as follows:

Councillor Mary Clarkson (Councillor Van Coulter as substitute)

Councillor Colin Cook

Councillor Gwynneth Royce (Councillor John Goddard as substitute)

(b)       To establish a Licensing and Registration Sub-Committee for the Council Year 2012/13 and agreed its powers and duties and to appoint members to it on the basis of political balance where possible and practical as follows:

Councillor Colin Cook

Councillor Van Coulter

Councillor Michael Gotch

Councillor Gwynneth Royce

The Head of Environmental Development has submitted a report, the purpose of which is to consider and respond to the Law Commission’s consultation on reform on the law of taxi and private hire services.

The Committee is asked to consider the information contained in this report and delegate authority to the Head of Environmental Development to draft a response in conjunction with the Chair and Vice-Chair and circulate to Committee members before submitting to the Law Commission.

The Head of Environmental Development submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) the purpose of which was to consider and respond to the Law Commission’s consultation on reform of the law of taxi and private hire services.

Julian Alison introduced the report and took the Committee through the proposals.

The Committee agreed to delegate authority to the Head of Environmental Development to draft a response in conjunction with the Chair and Vice-Chair and to circulate this draft to Members of the Committee before it being submitted to the Law Commission.

The Head of Environmental Development has submitted a report the purpose of which is to review the audio and visual recording scheme for Hackney Carriages and Private Hire Vehicles following receipt of late views on the imminent introduction of the scheme.

The Committee is asked to either:

(a)       Suspend the introduction of the requirements for audio and visual recording equipment to be installed in licensed Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicles pending the results of further and more extensive consultation on the scheme,

Or,

(b)       Delete the existing requirement for audio and visual recording equipment to be installed in licensed Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicles from April 2012.

The Head of Environmental Development submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) the purpose of which was to review the audio and visual recording scheme for Hackney Carriages and Private Hire vehicles following receipt of late views on the imminent introduction of the scheme.

Tony Payne introduced the report and took Members through the recommendations.

The Committee agreed to suspend the introduction of the requirements for audio and visual recording equipment to be installed in licensed Hackney Carriage and Private Hire vehicles, pending the results of further and more extensive consultation on the Scheme and the outcome of the Law Commission’s review on reforming the law on taxi and private hire services.

The Head of Environmental Development has submitted a report the purpose of which is to inform the Committee of activity undertaken by the Taxi Licensing Function between January 2012 and March 2012.

The Committee is asked:

(a)       To note the contents of the report; and

(b)       To make any comments and recommendations regarding the future work of the Taxi Licensing Function.

The Head of Environmental Development submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) the purpose of which was to inform the Committee of activity undertaken by the Taxi Licensing function between January and March 2012.

Julian Alison introduced the report.

The Committee agreed to note the report.

The Head of Law and Governance has submitted a report, the purpose of which is to seek approval to consult on the proposals to increase the rate of compliance for licensed vehicles to meet with the latest Euro Emission Levels and implement an upper age limit for licensed vehicles.

The Committee is asked:

(a)       To approve in principle the proposal to change the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle criteria in relation to vehicle emissions as set out in paragraph 8 of this report; and

(b)       To request the Head of Environmental Development carry out a consultation with the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire trade as to the proposed changes, and provide details of any responses to the Committee at its next meeting.

The Head of Environmental Development submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) the purpose of which was to seek approval to consult on the proposals to increase the rate of compliance for licensed vehicles in order to meet the latest Euro Emission Levels and to implement an upper age limit for licensed vehicles.

Julian Alison introduced the report.  The Committee also heard Committees from the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire trade.

The Committee agreed to request the Head of Environmental Development to carryout consultation with the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire trade on the proposed changes and a five year limit for new licences and an eight year limit for re-licences, and to provide the outcome from this consultation to the next scheduled meeting of the General Purposes Licensing Committee in October 2012.

The proposed new wording would read:

New Vehicle Licences:

(a)       Any vehicle must not be older than 5 years of age at the date of the grant of the vehicle licence.

Renewal of existing Vehicle Licences:

(b)       From 1st January 2013, all vehicles submitted for a licence renewal will need to be Euro 4 Emissions compliant, which in effect means that any vehicle first registered prior to 1st October 2006 will not meet current regulations.

(c)        From 1st January 2014 no vehicle shall be re-licensed if it has reached 8 years of age from the date of first registration.

The Head of Environmental Development has submitted a report which details the responses received following consultation on the Draft Sex Establishment Licensing Policy.

The Committee is asked:

(a)       To request the Head of Environmental Development to carry out an analysis of the City in order to assess the “characteristics” of all potential “relevant localities”, and:

(b)       To receive a further report following that assessment with a view to identifying any localities where a limit on the number of sex establishments may be considered appropriate by the Authority.

The Head of Environmental Development submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) which detailed the responses received following consultation on the Draft Sex Establishment Licensing Policy.

Tony Payne introduced the report.

The Committee agreed:

(a)       To request the Head of Environmental Development to carry out an analysis of the City on order to asses the “characteristics” of all potential “relevant localities”:

(b)       To receive a further report following the outcome of recommendation (a) above, with a view to identifying any localities where a limit on the number of sex establishments may be considered appropriate by the Authority.

The Head of Environmental Development has submitted a report the purpose of which is to report back to Committee on the responses to the further consultation on the proposed fee for street trading outside of the City Centre and to agree a fee for Street Trading Consents in these locations.

The Committee is asked

(a)       To consider the responses to the consultation, and

(b)       To agree to implement the recommended fee structure as set out in paragraph 1 of the report for daytime street trading, for sites outside the City Centre.

The Head of Environmental Development submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) the purpose of which was to report the responses received to further consultation on the proposed fee for street trading outside of the City centre and to seek agreement to a fee for Street Trading Consents in these locations.

Samantha Howell introduced the report.

The Committee agreed having considered the responses to the consultation to agree to implement the recommended fee structure as set out in the report for daytime street trading for sites outside of the city centre.

The Head of Environmental Development has submitted a report, the purpose of which is to inform the Committee of activity undertaken by the Miscellaneous Licensing Function between October 2011 - April 2012 and future developments.

The Committee is asked to

(a)       To note the contents of the report, and

(b)       To make comments and recommendations regarding the future work of the Miscellaneous Licensing Function.

The Head of Environmental Development submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) which informed the Committee of activity undertaken by the Miscellaneous Licensing Function between October 2011 and April 2012 and any future developments.

Samantha Howell introduced the report.

The Committee agreed to note and welcome the report.

Minutes of the meeting held on 22^nd February 2012.

The Committee agreed to approve the minutes (previously circulated, now appended) of the meeting held on 22^nd February 2012.

The Committee will meet on the following dates at the Town Hall:

Wednesday 17^th October 2012

Tuesday 19^th February 2013

The Committee noted that it would meet in the Town Hall, at 5.30pm or following the conclusion of the Licensing and Gambling Acts Committee, on the following dates:

Wednesday 17^th October 2012

Tuesday 19^th February 2013