The Taxi & General Licensing Committee of West Northamptonshire Council was scheduled to meet on Tuesday 14 April 2026. The primary item on the agenda was the consideration of a revised, aligned fee structure for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver and Vehicle Licences, as well as Private Hire Operator Licences. The committee was also scheduled to confirm the minutes from a previous meeting held on 21 October 2024.

Taxi and Private Hire Fees

The committee was scheduled to consider a report from the Licensing Manager, Nicholas Sutcliffe, regarding a proposed new fee structure for taxi and private hire licences. This proposal aims to align the fees across West Northamptonshire, which has been using three different fee structures since April 2021. The report indicated that the new fee structure had been developed following a cost exercise and a consultation period held between 15 January and 12 February 2026.

The report recommended that the committee approve the new fee structure after considering the responses received during the consultation. The consultation process, which involved contacting all licence holders and advertising in the press, elicited 208 responses, with 74 being fully completed. The majority of respondents expressed disagreement with the proposed fee increases, citing concerns about financial hardship, the rising cost of living, increased fuel and insurance costs, and the impact of ride-sharing services like Uber on driver earnings. Common themes in the responses included affordability, a perceived lack of benefits in return for higher fees, and criticism of MOT requirements and testing costs. A small minority of respondents supported higher fees, linking them to improved enforcement and quality control.

The proposed new fee structure, detailed in the document WNC Proposed Fees Table.pdf ¹, shows a move towards a single, unified fee across the council area. For example, the proposed fee for a new Private Hire Vehicle licence is £235.00, compared to previous fees that ranged from £173.00 to £270.00 depending on the former district council. Similarly, the proposed fee for a new Driver's Licence (1 or 3 year) is £245.00, an increase from previous fees that ranged from £114.00 to £200.00. The report also outlines proposed fees for operator licences, with a new application for an operator's licence for 1-5 vehicles set at £1050.00.

The report highlighted that taxi and private hire fees are governed by legislation, such as the Local Government (Miscellaneous) Provisions Act 1976, which requires councils to set fees that recover reasonable costs without making a profit. The report also referenced legal precedents, including the Court of Appeal case of R (app Rehman) v Wakefield City Council [2020], which clarified that administration can include enforcement and compliance costs. The council's duty is to ensure full cost recovery, but where discretion exists, fees should be set at the lowest reasonable level to support local businesses.