Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting of the Licensing and Regulatory Committee held on 29 January 2021 be APPROVED as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

There were no urgent items.

There were no declarations of interest made.

There were no Chair / Members Questions / Issues.

The Gambling Act 2005 required the Council to consult and publish a revised Statement of Principles every 3 years.

Consultation with all relevant Stakeholders was undertaken between 5 October and 4 November 2021 and only 1 response was received – from the National Association of Bookmakers Ltd who had no suggested amendments.

Amendments to the previous Policy had been made and incorporated into the new Statements of Principles Policy as summarised below:-

RESOLVED – That the Committee recommends the revised Statement of Principles 2022 – 2025 to Full Council for APPROVAL.

Licensing Authorities were required to regularly review and update their policies to reflect changes in legislation, guidance and local circumstances. It was 5 years since the introduction of the Council’s Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing Policy and a detailed review was now required to consider the following specific areas:-

·       Vehicle emissions / Air Quality;

·       CCTV;

·       General Legislation and Best Practice.

A proposed Timetable for the consultation was as follows:-

It was noted that there were no drop in sessions in Cheadle. This would be rectified once a suitable venue could be secured.

Discussion took place around CCTV and it’s benefits to the safety of all parties. It was clarified that if CCTV was mandated in the policy, SMDC would become the Data Recorder. Caution was required to ensure that any CCTV coverage was not shared and, whilst each owner would be subject to ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) requirements, the Council needed to be able to manage the situation. The situation would be considered fully during the consultation and reported back to the Committee in Autumn 2022, including cost implications to the Council and owners. Most Licensing Authorities were following the same review process.

70% of the current 64 licenced vehicles did not comply with proposed emissions requirements. The review would therefore encourage owners to invest in newer engine designs in order to comply.

RESOLVED –

·       That the Committee APPROVE the key areas of the Policy for consultation and the consultation timetable as outlined in the report’ and

·       That, following the consultation period, the proposed revised Policy (together with a summary of key consultation comments) be considered further by the Committee at  ...  view the full minutes text for item 42.

The Licensing Service had remained operational throughout the Covid-19 Pandemic and the report highlighted enforcement activities between November 2021 and February 2022. Overall, there had been a good level of compliance, with no penalty points having been issued to drivers or operators since the previous report.

In addition, the Licensing Section had responded to a number of complaints and requests for service in relation to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Responding to member queries, Alicia Patterson – Head of Environmental Health – confirmed that a) there was no evidence of Charity house-to -house collectors targeting terraced areas and b) with regard to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee there was no charge for street closures but that ‘TEN’ Licenses were still needed as normal, at a cost of £21.

RESOLVED – That the report be NOTED.