The Licensing and Regulatory Committee of Northumberland Council met on Tuesday 23 June 2026. The meeting's agenda included a review of the council's licensing activity over the previous quarter and an update on the development of taxi and private hire licensing policies.

Quarterly Activity Update

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the licences determined by subcommittees and delegated officers between January and March 2026. This period covers the fourth quarter of the 2025/26 financial year. Northumberland County Council has a statutory duty to administer and enforce various licensing schemes within its area. The report provided an overview of licensing activity across different categories, including Hackney carriages and private hire vehicles, animal boarding, pet shops, dog breeding, riding establishments, caravan sites, house-to-house and street collections, scrap metal dealing, street trading, and personal and premises licences for activities such as tattooing and piercing.

The report detailed the number of licences applied for and the total number of active licences for each category during the specified period, comparing them to the same period in the previous year. For instance, in the Hackney carriage and private hire sector, 84 hackney carriage vehicle licences and 168 private hire vehicle licences were applied for in Quarter 4 of 2025/26, compared to 77 and 164 respectively in the same period of 2025. The total number of active licences for hackney carriage vehicles was 257, and for private hire vehicles was 543. Similar data was presented for animal licensing and other licence types.

The report also included a schedule of subcommittee decisions made on 19 February 2026. These decisions related to the entitlement to retain private hire driver's licences, with one licence being revoked due to a failure to provide a DVLA check code. Other applications for private hire and hackney carriage driver licences were adjourned pending further consideration of DBS information.

Taxi and Private Hire Licensing: Policy Development Update

The committee was also scheduled to receive an update on the progress of the Taxi Policy Development Working Group. This group was established to review and develop the council's policy for regulating hackney carriage (taxi) and private hire activities. The report highlighted the business activity of the working group, which had met on five occasions since its establishment in January 2026. The group's terms of reference included considering the national and local context of taxi licensing, developing a work plan, and seeking subject matter expertise.

The working group's next steps were outlined, including examining licensee training, particularly in safeguarding, considering accessibility and equality issues, and engaging with interested parties from the trade.

Additionally, the report addressed a government consultation on proposals to transfer responsibility for taxi licensing functions from local licensing authorities to local transport authorities. The Department for Transport (DfT) suggested this change could reduce out-of-area working and align taxi policy with wider transport strategies. Northumberland County Council submitted a response to this consultation, advocating for a hybrid model where a strategic authority, such as the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority (NECA), would lead on policy, with local authorities continuing to deliver the licensing scheme locally. The council's response emphasised the practical setup and delivery risks associated with such a transfer and highlighted the unique geographical challenges of Northumberland, suggesting that a wholesale transfer could negatively impact local businesses. The government's response to the consultation was awaited.

The report also referenced the existing Northumberland Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy, which was last updated in September 2024. The Taxi Policy Development Working Group's work plan was presented for the committee's approval.