This meeting of North Devon Council was scheduled to include updates from council officers and partners about their work, and to review proposed changes to taxi ranks.

The meeting was scheduled to start with a verbal update from the Business Information Systems Manager about the VERSO licensing software.

The Crime Safety Partnership Officer was scheduled to give a verbal update on the work of the Crime Safety Partnership.

There was scheduled to be a verbal report from the Public Protection Manager about the availability of accessible taxis in Barnstaple.

Hackney Carriage Rank Review

The committee were scheduled to review a report about proposed changes to taxi ranks across the district. The report was prepared by Katy Nicholls, Lead Officer Commercial Regulation.

The report included a summary of responses to a consultation on the proposed changes.

Consultation with the taxi trade has now been undertaken.

The responses, from taxi drivers, included concerns about the safety of passengers at the rank on the Esplanade in Woolacombe, where:

...the make-up of the kerb being alleged to be an uneven grazed surface.

The report recommends that the committee:

...Determine whether to make any onward recommendation to Strategy and Resources with regard further advertising of the proposals for amendment of the hackney carriage ranks in line with Section 63 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976.

The committee were scheduled to be asked to decide whether to recommend that the Council proceed to the next stage of the process for making the changes.

The report included detailed information about each of the ranks that are proposed to be changed.

Appendix C to the report includes a list of all of the proposed taxi rank changes.

The report also explained the reasons for the review.

The plans to amend hackney carriage ranks in the district are largely to improve signage and markings and associated enforceability of the ranks and additionally amendments are proposed in Ilfracombe in terms of their location to better serve the community.

The changes include making sure the ranks are in the most convenient locations for passengers, and making sure the signs make it clear to other drivers that they cannot park in taxi ranks.