The Taxi and Regulatory Committee met to discuss updates to the Taxi and Private Hire Policy and consider applications for street trading consents. The committee approved a consultation process for the Taxi and Private Hire Policy and Conditions 2026, and also discussed and made decisions on applications for street trading consents for Deri Haus Icecream and Only Foodz.

Taxi and Private Hire Policy and Conditions 2026

The committee reviewed Monmouthshire's Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy and Conditions, which was last updated on 1 April 2023. The Principal Licensing Officer Linda O'Gorman presented the report, noting the need to review existing requirements, policies and conditions of licence to comply with statutory standards and Welsh Government Guidance.

The council is expected to meet the minimum requirements of the Department for Transport (DfT) Statutory & Best Practice for taxi and private hire licensing, or explain why they do not. The Welsh Government published updated guidance in March 2021, with the most recent update in May 2025. The recommendations form the basis for further development by Welsh Government into national standards. Welsh Government within this guidance updated the CCTV policies and looked at overseas criminal record checks for over 18 year olds.

Since the adoption of the current Taxi and Private Hire Policy and Conditions in 2023, the Institute of Licensing has updated the determining factors in assessing the suitability of applicants and licensees in the hackney carriage and private hire industry in 2024.

The proposed revisions to the policy include:

• The Institute of Licensing guidance on determining the suitability of hackney carriage and private hire applicants and licence holders
• Overseas criminal record checks
• Medical changes, allowing drivers to use doctors registered with the General Medical Council who have access to NHS Summary Medical Records, and allowing the vision section of the medical to be completed by an optician/optometrist registered with the General Optical Council.
• Equality changes as a result of the Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Act 2022.
• Inclusion of suspensions, where appropriate, on the National Register for Revocations and Refusals.
• Changes to roof lights to ensure clarity and safety in recognising a licensed vehicle.
• An update of the CCTV and Dashcam policy.

The committee voted to approve a consultation process with the licensed trade on the proposed changes during the period 22 September – 31 October 2025, and agreed to a further report being submitted to the Taxi and Regulatory Committee on 9 December 2025 for consideration following consultation, with a view to the proposed policy commencing on 1 January 2026.

Application for Street Trading Consent (Mobile) for Deri Haus Icecream

The committee considered an application for mobile street trading consent from Ceri Delap T/A Deri haus Icecream for various streets within Severnside, Monmouthshire. The application was sent to statutory consultees, including the police, local ward members, and various departments within Monmouthshire County Council. No representations were received.

The report noted that another person has held a mobile street trading consent since 2021 to sell similar goods in some of the same streets. Section 7 of Monmouthshire County Council's Street Trading Policy 2016 states that a consent will not be granted if the use would be in direct competition with a nearby business or another street trader, or within 100 metres of such a business or trader.

The committee voted to approve the application for mobile street trading consent for the streets not already covered by an existing consent. The committee took into consideration section 3.7 of the report, which outlined the council's policy on competition with existing businesses.

Application for Block Street Trading Consent – Only Foodz

The committee considered an application for block street trading consent from Mrs Kelly Gettings for three pitches at Bulwark Industrial Estate. The applicant currently holds street trading consent for one trailer which sells food and drink at the same location.

Representations were received from a local ward member and Chepstow Town Council, with concerns that the trading would lead to competition with nearby building-based traders and that the trading would be more like an entertainment venue. The Planning Authority informed the Licensing Authority that they could not find any planning permissions for this food and drink use on the Bulwark Industrial Estate and would be opening an enforcement case to investigate this change of use.

The applicant responded that they thought planning permission was already in place, and had contacted the Planning Authority to clarify the position. They added that the trading would bring customers from outside the area, benefitting other businesses, and that the area was a family-friendly environment and carefully managed.

Section 5 of Monmouthshire County Council's Street Trading Policy 2016 states that block street trading consents will normally only be issued to markets approved by the council, town or community councils, or charitable, local authority organised and community type events where an admission charge is not made. Section 7 states that the use shall not be in direct competition with a nearby business or another street trader, or within 100 metres of such a business or trader.

The committee voted to approve the application for block street trading consent, taking into consideration the representations received and Monmouthshire County Council's Street Trading Policy 2016.

Exclusion of the Press and Public

The committee then considered whether to exclude the press and public from the meeting for the following item, relating to an assistant request for a street trading consent, due to the report containing information relating to a particular individual.

The Licensing Officer Taylor Watts recommended that paragraph 12 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 should apply, and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.

The committee agreed that the report should be exempt and that the press and public should be excluded from the meeting for that item.