The Licensing & Regulatory Committee of Northumberland Council was scheduled to consider a quarterly update on the council's licensing activities and to review local and national policy developments. The meeting was also scheduled to address routine administrative matters.

Quarterly Activity Update

The committee was scheduled to receive a report detailing licensing activities undertaken by subcommittees and delegated officers during the first two quarters of the 2026/27 financial year, covering April to June and July to September 2026. This report was intended to provide an overview of licences determined within this period.

The report was scheduled to include data on various licensing schemes administered by Northumberland County Council, such as Hackney Carriage and Private Hire licences, animal activity licences, and other licence types including caravan sites, street collections, scrap metal dealing, and street trading. Specific figures for licence applications and active licences were to be presented for each category.

Additionally, the report was scheduled to outline local and national policy developments relevant to the committee's remit. This included an update on the Taxi Policy Development Working Group, which was to have examined vehicle and driver standards, as well as ancillary matters like licensing zones and tariffs. The group's work was intended to balance public safety with support for businesses.

National developments were also scheduled to be discussed, including the government's proposals to transfer taxi and private hire licensing responsibilities to local transport authorities, and revised Home Office guidance on immigration status checks for taxi and private hire licensing. Updates on animal activity licensing, including revised guidance from Defra and the operationalisation of private primate licensing, were also anticipated. Furthermore, the report was scheduled to look ahead to prospective licensing schemes, such as those for tobacco, vaping, and nicotine retailing, and non-surgical cosmetic procedures, noting that these could represent substantial new responsibilities for local authorities.

The committee was recommended to consider and note the information contained within this report.

Administrative Matters

The meeting was scheduled to begin with apologies for absence, followed by the confirmation of the minutes from the previous Licensing & Regulatory Committee meeting held on Tuesday, 23 June 2026. Members were also scheduled to be reminded of the procedures for the disclosure of members' interests, outlining the requirements for declaring Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPIs), Other Registrable Interests, and Non-Registerable Interests, and the implications for participation in discussions and voting.

The date of the next meeting was scheduled to be confirmed as Wednesday, 17 February 2027. The agenda also included provision for considering any urgent business that, in the opinion of the Chair, should be addressed due to special circumstances.