Agenda and decisions

This is where Councillors who are attending as substitutes will say for whom they are attending.

Apologies were received from Councillor Melanie Stephen, Councillor Ammar Anwar, Councillor Adam Zaman, Councillor Paola Davies and Councillor Andrew Marchington.

Councillor John Lawson substituted for Councillor Paola Davies.

To approve the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on the 5^th October 2022.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 5^th October be approved as a correct record.

The Councillors will be asked to say if there are any items on the Agenda in which they have disclosable pecuniary interests, which would prevent them from participating in any discussion of the items or participating in any vote upon the items, or any other interests.

No interests were declared.

Most debates take place in public. This only changes when there is a need to consider certain issues, for instance, commercially sensitive information or details concerning an individual. You will be told at this point whether there are any items on the Agenda which are to be discussed in private.

All agenda items were considered in public session.

The Committee will receive any petitions and hear any deputations from members of the public. A deputation is where up to five people can attend the meeting and make a presentation on some particular issue of concern. A member of the public can also hand in a petition at the meeting but that petition should relate to something on which the body has powers and responsibilities.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 10 (2), Members of the Public should provide at least 24 hours’ notice of presenting a deputation.  

No deputations or petitions were received.

The Committee will hear any questions from the general public.

A public question was asked, and a response was provided.

The purpose of the report is to inform Members of the activities undertaken to discharge the Council’s licensing functions from 1^st April 2022 to 30^th September 2022.

Contact: Fiona Goldsmith, Public Protection Group Leader, Tel: 01484 221000

RESOLVED: That the Licensing Services Update report be noted by the Committee.

The purpose of the report is for Members to consider and resolve a decision-making process relating to the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire licensing service.

Contact:  Fiona Goldsmith, Public Protection Group Leader, Tel: 01484 221000

RESOLVED:

That:

(i)            the decision regarding the decision-making process relating to hackney carriage and private hire be deferred to allow officers to undertake further work and bring this back for consideration at a future meeting of the Licensing and Safety Committee,

(ii)          Officers liaise with other West Yorkshire Local Authorities to explore the reason and rational for deviating from the Department for Transport guidance on hackney carriage and private hire decision making responsibilities,

(iii)         further information be provided on the process that would be undertaken for an officer panel and a hybrid panel,

(iv)         an estimate of the cost and timescale on each of the four options be produced,

(v)          information on the resource implications, including the workload for members and officers be produced for each of the four options.

The purpose of the report is to seek Members approval for the updated Terms of Reference for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Associations.

Contact:  Fiona Goldsmith, Public Protection Group Leader, Tel: 01484 221000

RESOLVED:

That:

(i)                 the report be noted by the Committee,

(ii)               the proposed terms of reference be approved with the addition of

     section 2.7 as set out in the report,

(iii)              the charter provided by the GMB union shows that there is no

     conflict with the proposed terms of reference,

(iv)              officers liaise with the GMB union, Leeds, and other West

     Yorkshire authorities to try and standardise across the region,

(v)               the responsibility for making any changes to the Terms of

     Reference in future, be delegated to officers in conjunction with

     the Chair of the Licensing and Safety Committee,

(vi)              Members, other than the Chair of Licensing and Safety

     Committee only being permitted to attend the association

     Meetings at the explicit request of the trade and for observatory

     purposes only.