Agenda, decisions and minutes

To approve the minutes of the meeting of the Panel held on the 3^rd July 2025.

RESOLVED –

That the minutes of the meeting held on 3^rd July 2025 be approved as a correct record.

RESOLVED –

That the minutes of the meeting held on 3^rd July 2025 be approved as a correct record.

To receive apologies for absence from those Members who are unable to attend the meeting and details of substitutions and for whom they are attending.

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillor Aafaq Butt.

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

No interests were declared.

Most agenda items take place in public. This only changes where there is a need to consider exempt information, as contained at Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. You will be informed at this point which items are to be recommended for exclusion and to be resolved by the Board.

All agenda items were considered in public session.

The Committee will receive any petitions and/or 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 submit a petition at the meeting relating to a matter on which the body has powers and responsibilities.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 10, Members of the Public must submit a deputation in writing, at least three clear working days in advance of the meeting and shall subsequently be notified if the deputation shall be heard. A maximum of four deputations shall be heard at any one meeting.

No deputations or petitions were received.

To receive any public questions.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11, the period for the asking and answering of public questions shall not exceed 15 minutes.

Any questions must be submitted in writing at least three clear working days in advance of the meeting.

No public questions were received.

The purpose of the report is for Members of the Licensing and Safety Committee to consider objections received from the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire trade and/or their representatives, to determine and approve the fees for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire licensing, with or without modification and to set a date for the fees to come into force.

Contact: Fiona Goldsmith, Public Protection Group Leader, Licensing – 01484 221000

RESOLVED –

1)    That the fee structure as set out Appendix 1 of the report be approved.

2)    That the date set for fees to take effect be 22^nd September 2025

(Under the provision of Council Procedure Rule 37, the Committee received representations from Katherine Walter and Suhail Rashid.)

Fiona Goldsmith, Public Protection Group Leader for Licensing, presented a report on Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Fees. Members were asked to consider objections and representations submitted during the statutory consultation period by members of the trade and their representatives, and then to determine and approve the fees for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire, with or without modification. The Committee was advised that they would also need to set a date when the fees would come into force; that must be no later than the 23^rd September, which was 2 months from the end of the consultation.

The Committee was advised that, in accordance with Sections 53 and 70 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, the Council was permitted to set fees for the licensing of Hackney Carriage and private hire drivers, vehicles, and operators, provided those fees were reasonable and did not exceed the cost of administering the licensing scheme. A fee calculation and statutory consultation was undertaken with the trade in 2023, during which concerns were raised regarding historic surpluses and deficits. As a result, fees were held at existing levels pending a full financial review, which had now been completed by the Council’s Finance Service, covering the period since 2015 when the last fee review took place. The review identified a deficit of £98,000 as of 31 March 2024 (page 11 of the report).

The Committee was informed that on 26 June 2025, a draft schedule of proposed fees and charges for the financial years 2025/26, 2026/27, and 2027/28 was issued for consultation with the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire trade. Although the legal requirement to consult applied only to vehicle and operator fees, the Council also included driver fees in the consultation. The decision to consult over a three-year period was made partly to reduce costs. The proposed fee structure included a 3% increase for the current year, followed by a 2% increase in each of the subsequent two years, subject to adjustment in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) if it falls below 2%.

Ms Goldsmith informed the Committee that a notice was published in the Huddersfield Examiner and displayed at Flint Street offices to inform members of the public and the trade of the consultation, which closed on 24th July 2025.  In response to the consultation, 160 representations were received, including four standard template submissions and six individual responses.

Members were advised that any new or amended fees must take effect no later than 23^rd September 2025 and that the Committee must advise of the date.

In response to a question from the Committee, Ms Goldsmith advised that the fee review had considered figures from 2015 when the last fee review had taken place, and that this approach had been approved by external counsel. The fee review of 2015 had not been challenged at that time.

Katherine Walter, a representative  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.