The General Licensing Committee convened to discuss licensing performance, future meeting times, and applications for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire licences. The committee accepted the 2024/2025 performance report, agreed to maintain the 10:00 a.m. start time for future meetings, suspended a Hackney Carriage/Private Hire Vehicle Driver's Licence, and adjourned a decision on another application.

Hackney Carriage/Private Hire Licences

The committee addressed several Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licence applications, which were discussed in private due to the confidential nature of the information, as defined in Paragraph 12, Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972¹.

• Application 1(a) – Review of Hackney Carriage/Private Hire Vehicle Driver's Licence: The committee resolved to suspend the driver's licence with immediate effect, citing public safety concerns, in accordance with Section 61(2B) of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976². The applicant has been invited to attend the next General Licensing Committee meeting on 14th October 2025, to make representations, and to allow time for a full medical report to be submitted to the Licensing Team.
• Application 1(b) – Hackney Carriage/Private Hire Vehicle Driver's Licence: The committee resolved to adjourn the application. The applicant has been invited to attend the next General Licensing Committee meeting scheduled for 14th October 2025.

Performance Report 2024/2025

The committee reviewed and accepted the Performance Report 2024/2025 from the Team Manager Trading Standards & Licensing, which provided an overview of licensing activities from April 2024 to March 2025. The report included data from the Council's Licensing Team, the Environmental Health - Commercial Team, and Powys County Council's Animal Health Team, which operates under a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with Blaenau Gwent Council. Comparative data from the previous two years was included where possible.

The report highlighted several key areas:

• Licensing Team: The Licensing Team consists of four officers managed by Steve Osborne, Team Manager-Trading Standards & Licensing. The team processed 478 payments in 2024/25, compared to 448 in 2023/24, with most payments taken by card over the telephone.
• Hackney & Private Hire Licensing:
  • Private Hire Vehicle licence applications have remained consistent over the past three years.
  • No private hire vehicle operators applications have been received in the last three years, which is expected due to the five-year licence duration and the prevalence of hackney carriages.
  • 107 Vehicle applications were received and processed in 2024/25, 16 of which were for new vehicles, a decrease from 113 applications the previous year.
  • Hackney Carriage/Private Hire Vehicle Driver applications decreased to 15, with 13 being new applications, compared to 54 the previous year. This fluctuation is attributed to the three-year duration of Hackney Carriage driver licences and staggered renewal periods.
• Hackney & Private Hire Licensing Complaints & Enforcement:
  • No complaints were made about licensed taxi drivers during 2024/25.
  • Two allegations were received regarding previously licensed taxi drivers operating as 'ghost' (unlicensed) taxi drivers. One was warned, and no further action was taken against the other due to a non-responsive complainant.
  • The Licensing Enforcement Officer attended Bristol Magistrates' Court as a witness for South Gloucestershire Council in an appeal by a licensed taxi driver, which was dismissed with £1000 costs awarded to the Council.
• Hackney & Private Hire Licensing Revocations:
  • Immediate revocation was taken against a licensed taxi driver following allegations of an assault on a young person during a home to school transport contract. The driver admitted the assault, and the licence was revoked.
  • Immediate revocation was taken against a licensed taxi driver whose DVLA check showed no entitlement to drive. The driver continued to drive while revoked, but the case was closed due to the driver's death.
• Street Trading:
  • 4 permanent and 21 temporary applications were received and issued, a decrease from the previous year.
  • Three unlicensed street traders were operating in the borough. One ceased trading due to planning permission issues, and action is being taken against the other two.
• Management Report - Licensing Team:
  • All licensing policies are up to date, with no updates required during 2024/25.
  • Licence fees were reviewed in 2023, with an inflationary increase implemented for 2024/25.
  • No formal complaints were received about the team's work.
  • 11 Freedom of Information requests were received, 9 related to taxi matters, and 2 to general licensing matters, all responded to within the statutory time limit.
  • The Licensing Enforcement Officer collaborates with various regulatory organisations, including Environmental Health, Trading Standards, Police, and Immigration Services.
  • 46 vehicle and driver checks were conducted during 16 taxi rank inspections, resulting in advisory warnings mainly for tyre and light issues.
• General Licensing Committee Meetings & Hearings:
  • The committee met seven times in 2024/25, determining 9 matters, including taxi driver interviews, vehicle licensing applications, and one general licensing matter.
• Animal Health (Powys SLA):
  • Figures relate to animal health licensing functions carried out by Powys County Council under a Service Level Agreement (SLA).
  • Activities included visits to licensed pet shops and animal home boarders, inspections of zoos, and investigations of unlicensed dog breeders.
  • The report detailed Op Cancel and Op Buzzard, cases involving unlicensed dog breeders, with Op Buzzard resulting in a Tredegar woman being disqualified from keeping dogs for five years. Bonnie Thomas, 28, of Laburnam Avenue, Tredegar, was banned from keeping dogs for five years after admitting a number of animal welfare offences.
  • The periodical inspection of The Owl Sanctuary zoo has been carried out with Welsh Government Zoo Inspectors, and the report is pending.
• Management Report Environmental Health— Commercial Team:
  • The report outlines the Commercial Health & Safety advice and enforcement work of the Commercial Team (Environmental Health).
  • An intelligence–led intervention plan covering 2025/26 and 2026/27 was produced, informed by national priorities set by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
  • No formal complaints were received about the service relating to Commercial Health & Safety.
  • 11 Freedom Of Information (FOI) requests were received in 2023/24, 4 of these related to Commercial Health & Safety activities.
• Commercial Team — Health & Safety:
  • The service responded to 33 notifications to the Authority as a Health & Safety Regulator under RIDDOR³.
  • 166 requests for service were received, including complaints, advice requests, and event notifications.
  • 11 proactive inspections were conducted based on National Intelligence and 32 based on Local Intelligence.
  • 3 improvement notices and 21 prohibition notices were issued under the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974⁴.
• Commercial Team Health & Safety:
  • The service investigated a complaint at Tantastic (Blackwood) Ltd in Commercial Street, Tredegar, where a member of the public received burns from a high-pressure sunbed.
  • A prosecution was taken in respect of the Sunbed Regulation offences and the highest known fine in Wales per an individual offence was awarded: £8500 fine, £5000 costs and £2000 victim surcharge.

The committee resolved to accept and note the contents of the report.

Time of Future Meetings

The committee discussed the timing of future meetings and agreed to maintain the 10:00 a.m. start time.