Councillor Edward Mundy was elected Chair for the remainder of 2023-24 Council Year.

Item 4: Licensed Vehicles Emission Standards Amendment

Councillor Rae Humberstone stated he had met with the secretary of City of Oxford Licensed Taxicab Association (COLTA) in relation to this subject matter; it was not a pecuniary interest; the Councillor made the declarations for reasons of transparency and indicated he would leave the room during the consideration of this item.

Councillor Edward Mundy stated he had met with members of COLTA in relation to this subject matter; it was not a pecuniary interest; the Councillor made the declaration for reasons of transparency and indicated that he would consider the application with a free and open mind.

The Executive Director for Communities and People had submitted a report to consider a delay to the introduction of new emission standards for Hackney Carriage Vehicles licensed by this Authority.

Recommendations: That the General Purposes Licensing Committee resolves to:

1.     Consider the request made by City of Oxford Licenced Taxicab Association to delay the introduction of ultra-low emission standards for Hackney Carriage Vehicles licensed by this Authority;

2.     Consider the results of a public consultation and statements submitted;

3.     Consider the contents of this report and options set out in it;

4.     Agree any amendments to the current emission standards for Hackney Carriage Vehicles licensed by this Authority; and

5.     Agree that any such amendments be recommended to Council for adoption.

Cllr Humberstone left the meeting having declared an interest on this item.

The General Purposes Licensing Committee considered a report from the Executive Director for Communities and People to delay the introduction of new emission standards for Hackney Carriage Vehicles licensed by this Authority.

Joshua Curnow, Supervising Senior Licensing Officer, reminded the Committee that it had approved the roadmap for emissions standards in January 2019, highlighting the next stages of the roadmap including the requirement for all new and renewal Hackney Carriage Vehicle applications to meet the ultra-low emission vehicles standard beginning 1 January 2025. The Committee was asked to consider options set out in the report which had been included in the agenda pack and circulated prior to the meeting.

The Licensing Officer informed the Committee that COLTA had submitted a request for an adjournment following the publication of the agenda and explained that Mr Sajad Khan, Secretary of COLTA, was in attendance to present this request before the Committee.

Mr Khan addressed the Committee and clarified that COLTA had decided to retract its request for an adjournment. In the absence of questions for the Licensing Officer, the Chair invited Mr Khan to speak.

Mr Khan provided an overview of the challenges faced by the taxi trade in Oxford, highlighting the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic between March 2020 and July 2021, and the cost of living crisis that followed where drivers expressed difficulties in sustaining their livelihoods. He further highlighted the substantial impacts of the recent industrial action and the implementation of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, stating that the lessened sources of fares due to train strikes, prolonged routes and increased fares all had resulted in the challenges that the drivers currently faced.

Mr Khan also raised concerns regarding Oxford Direct Service' (ODS) inability to provide services for Low Emission Vehicles or carry out warranty work for electric cars which forced drivers to seek services outside of Oxford, impacting the affordability of electric taxis. It was emphasised that the taxi trade did not contribute significantly to carbon emissions compared to other sectors.

In response to questions from members of the Committee, Mr Khan provided the following points:

• A second-hand electric vehicles scheme was introduced which offered drivers £5,000 grant including waiving of licensing application and MOT fees. Approximately 20 drivers took part in the scheme. It was pointed out that whilst some drivers opted for brand-new vehicles simply due to personal preference and financial capability, the majority of the trade were not afforded this option.
• Oxford had a Hackney Carriage limit of 107 vehicles. Some proprietorships that were in 2019 had changed through private transfers which were often within families.
• COLTA had met with Clipper Cab regarding a technology which converted diesel vehicles to zero-emission products however these vehicles offered limited electric mileage that were not suitable for the trade.

Mr Khan further elaborated on the issue relating to the unavailability of LEVC qualified mechanics at ODS, explaining that when electric vehicles fail its compliance test, they would immediately be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

The Executive Director for Communities and People has submitted a report to seek agreement of the licence fees for 2024/25 where the Council has discretion over the level of fee charged.

Recommendation: That the General Purposes Licensing Committee resolves to:

1.     Agree the licence fees and charges for 2024/25 as set out in the Appendix 1 and recommend them to Council.

The General Purposes Licensing Committee considered a report from the Executive Director for Communities and People seeking agreement of the licence fees for 2024/25 where the Council has discretion over the level of fee charged.

Joshua Curnow, Supervising Senior Licensing Officer presented the report, highlighting the changes in fees to cover the authority's costs with inflation, namely an 8% uplift for commercial events and events with no commercial element, including street parties, sex establishments and sexual entertainment venues, and a 7% to 8% uplift for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire licensing. It was noted that where an application met the test of being a community or charitable event with no commercial gain, the fee could be waived by the authority to support the event. He further advised that licensing for scrap metal dealers and collectors was an executive function and had been submitted to Cabinet for consultation in December 2023 for Council approval in February 2024.

In response to a question from the Committee, the Licensing Officer clarified that fees indicated in red text within the appended report signified a reduction, removal or introduction of new charges which had replaced outdated services. These adjustments were made to some fees, including Right to Work (RTW) and Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) online checks, to streamline administrative processes for the benefit of both the authority and applicants.

Councillor Louise Upton asked a question relating to road closures for temporary events such as the Christmas Market. The Licensing Officer clarified that one fee was required for the closure of a road, while licensable fees related to activities of trader stalls were subject to legislation outside the scope of the recommendations proposed.

Councillor Katherine Miles raised a question regarding school street closure for timed period. The Licensing Officer indicated that this matter was outside the remit of the authority as it fell under the responsibility and control of the County Council.

The General Purposes Licensing Committee resolved to:

Agree the licence fees and charges for 2024/25 as set out in the Appendix 1 and recommend them to Council.

The Executive Director for Communities and People has submitted a report to seek agreement of the licence fees for 2024/25 where the Council has discretion over the level of fee charged.

Recommendations: That the General Purposes Licensing Committee resolves to:

1.     Agree the licence fees and charges for 2024/25 as set out in Appendix 1 as amended by appendix 2 and recommend them to Council.

The General Purposes Licensing Committee considered a report from the Executive Director for Communities and People seeking agreement of the licence fees for 2024/25 where the Council has discretion over the level of fee charged.

David Stevens, Principal Team Lead, introduced the report.

Councillor Katherine Miles proposed an amendment to the pavement licence provision, suggesting the addition of a discretion to incentivise establishments committed to maintaining a smoke-free environment.

Councillor Mark Lygo endorsed the proposed reduction in pavement licence fees for smoke-free establishments. He raised concerns regarding its enforcement within the authority. The Legal Adviser responded that this was a matter of debate for the General Purposes Licensing Committee. The Principal Team Lead raised a point regarding the short-term feasibility of the proposed amendment and the need for fee approval by Council at its Budget meeting in February 2024. He suggested a future report setting out the necessary steps and requirements for implementing the proposed amendments for the consideration of the Committee.

Councillor Lois Muddiman expressed her support for the proposal and suggested extending the provision to include vape-free environments.

Following further discussions, the General Purposes Licensing Committee resolved to:

1. Agree the licensing fees and charges for 2024/25 as follows:
   1. Approve the proposed Fees & Charges for Miscellaneous Licensing Services, with the exception of Pavement Licenses and Street Café Licenses, as set out in Appendix 1.
   2. Set future Fees under the new pavement licence provisions in the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act 2023 (when they come into force) at the upper limits of £500 and £350, as set out in Appendix 2.
   3. To continue to charge £100 for Street Café Licenses, and to increase the annual fees for new licence to £250 and annual fees for existing licence to £175.
   4. Apply increases made in iii. above from a date consistent with that set by the pavement licence implementing legislative provisions.
2. Request the Business Regulations Team to prepare a report setting out the feasibility and implementation requirements for an amendment to the pavement licence provision to include an incentivised fee for smoke-free and vape-free establishments, for consideration of the Committee at its next meeting in May 2024.
3. Recommend the agreed fees and charges for 2024/25 to Council for adoption.

Recommendation: to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 25 September 2023 and extraordinary meeting held on 4 December 2023 as true and accurate records.

The Committee agreed to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 25 September 2023 and extraordinary meeting held on 4 December 2023 as true and accurate records.

The Committee is scheduled to meet at 6.00pm on the following dates:

·       20 May 2024

·       23 September 2024

·       10 February 2025

·       19 May 2025

The Committee noted the dates and times of future meetings.