Apologies were received from Councillors Gotch, Humberstone and Williams

Members are asked to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests they may have in any of the following agenda items. Guidance on this is set out at the end of these agenda pages.

None made

The Head of Environmental Development has submitted a report which informs the Committee of the progress made by the Taxi Licensing Function between August 2013 and December 2013.

The Committee is asked:

(1)          To note the contents of the report;

(2)          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) Concerning taxi licensing activity from August to December 2013. Julian Alison (Licensing Team Leader) presented the report to the Committee and provided some background and context.

In response to a question about taxi licensing enforcement and increasing test purchases, Julian Alison explained that having reviewed the team budget available, the level of financial resources for enforcement could not currently be increased without it affecting other costs for service provision. However, he welcomed the Chair’s view that further discussions could be had with the Head of Service to see if additional funding could be provided.

Resolved to:

(1)  Note the contents of the report;

(2)  Note the comments made.

The Head of Environmental Development has submitted a report which asks the Committee to consider a request for a variation of the Hackney Carriage Tariffs from the City of Oxford Licensed Taxicab Association (COLTA).

The Committee is asked to:

(1)          Consider the request from the City of Oxford Licensed Taxicab Association for a variation to the Hackney Carriage Tariffs in accordance with the information contained within this report; and subject to any decision

(2)          Request that the Head of Environmental Development and the Head of Law and Governance carry out the statutory requirement of a public consultation and delegate to the Chair and the Head of Environmental Development to consider any responses to the consultation.

The Head of Environmental development submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) concerning a request from the City of Oxford Licensed Taxicab Association (COLTA) for a variation of the Hackney Carriage tariffs. Julian Alison (Licensing Team Leader) presented the report to the Committee.

Resolved to:-

(1)  Agree the request from COLTA for a variation to Hackney Carriage tariffs in accordance with the information laid out in the report;

(2)  Request that the Head of Environmental Development and the Head of Law and Governance carry out the statutory requirement of a public consultation and delegate to the Chair and the head of Environmental development to consider any responses to the consultation.

The Head of Environmental Development has submitted a report which seeks agreement of the licence fees for 2014/15 where the Council has discretion over the level of fee charged.

The Committee is asked to agree the licence fees and charges for 2014/15 as set out in the Appendix to the report.

The Head of Environmental Development submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) concerning agreement for licence fees over which the Council has discretion over the fee charged. Julian Alison (Licensing Team Leader) presented the report to the Committee and explained the background.

He explained that no charges were proposed to the current level of fees and charges, given that the full cost recovery of the service had not increased, nor was it expected to increase during the next 12 months.

Resolved to agree the fees and charges for 2014/15 as set out in the report.

The Head of Environmental Development has submitted a report which seeks agreement of the licence fees for 2014/15 where the Council has discretion over the level of fee charged.

The Committee is asked to agree the licence fees and charges for 2014/15 as set out in the Appendix of the report.

The Head of Environmental Development submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) concerning agreement for licence fees over which the Council has discretion over the fee charged. Lesley Rennie (Business Regulation Team Manager) presented the report to the Committee and explained the background.

Resolved to:-

(1)  Agree the fees and charges for 2014 /15 as set out in the report, with the exception of those items listed below:-

(a)  Street Trading at event for commercial benefit – retain current fee of £25 pending  a further report into the issue to clarify what is “commercial”;

(b)  Street Trading at event for community/charity benefit – retain current level (no charge) pending a further report into this issue to clarify what is “community/charity”;

(c)  Street Café licenses – retain current fee of £750, pending a further report concerning a review of fee for cafes in the City centre and those further outside the centre

Minutes of the meeting held on 5^th September 2013.

Resolved to confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 5^th September 2013, with the following addition which was requested at the meeting-:

To ask that in future, the General Purposes Licensing Committee begins immediately after Licensing and Gambling Acts Committee.

The Committee will meet on the following dates:

Tuesday 10^th June 2014

Tuesday 23^rd September 2014

Tuesday 27^th January 2015

Tuesday 19^th May 2015

Resolved to note the following dates:-

Tuesday 10^th June;

Tuesday 23^rd September;

Tuesday 27^th January 2015;

Tuesday 19^th May 2015