The Licensing and Environmental Health Committee of Uttlesford Council met on Tuesday, 18 June 2024, to discuss various licensing and environmental health matters. Key topics included the proposed 2024/25 licence fees for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Drivers, Vehicles and Operators, and an update on enforcement activities.

Proposed 2024/25 Licence Fees for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Drivers, Vehicles and Operators

The Senior Licensing Officer presented the proposed licence fees for the period from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. The fees pertain to Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Drivers, Vehicles, and Operators. The officer clarified that licensing is a cost-recovery service and is not permitted to generate true surpluses or deficits. Predicted surpluses within the account forecasts are due to delayed costs, and these funds will be transferred into reserves to be drawn out over the three-year lifespan of a licence.

Councillor Driscoll proposed approval of the recommendations set out in the officer’s report, which was seconded by Councillor Reeve. The committee resolved to refer the approval of the revised fees to the full council following the end of the consultation period and the production of the full report findings.

Enforcement Update

The Licensing and Compliance Officer provided an update on compliance and enforcement activities carried out by Licensing Officers from 1 June 2023 to 31 December 2023. Key points included:

• 63 suspensions were issued to drivers who had not registered with the DBS update service. These suspensions typically last as long as the driver does not comply with the requirement.
• Complaints were received relating to six separate licensed premises.
• Under the Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Safeguarding and Road Safety) Act 2022, all local authorities are now legally required to use the National Register of Taxi and Private Hire Licence Revocations and Refusals (NR3). This includes data for any individuals who have had a licence refused, suspended, or revoked.
• Local authorities can make Data Protection Act (DPA) requests about a licence where they require additional information about a driver.
• Uttlesford District Council (UDC) has between 40-50 hackney carriages and over 1,000 Private Hire Vehicles licensed under its jurisdiction. Drivers have the right to roam and work predominantly in an area away from where they obtained their licence, which is why many drivers, particularly home-to-school operators, have branched out across various areas in the country.

Members expressed interest in attending PubWatch meetings. The Monitoring Officer confirmed that this could be permitted, but processes first needed to be put in place within the Council’s constitution to avoid any action that might call the decision-making process into disrepute.

The report was noted.

For more details, you can refer to the Minutes Public Pack 23012024 Licensing and Environmental Health Committee.