Agenda item

4.1

The minutes of meetings of (a) this Committee held on 5th and 26th October 2020 and (b) the Licensing Sub-Committee held on 21st July, 14^th, 15th, 28th and 29th September, 12th, 13th, 19th, 20th and 27th October, 9th, 17th and 23rd November and 1st, 14th, 21st and 22nd December 2020, and 4th, 5th, 11th, 18th and 26th January and 9th, 22nd and 23rd February 2021, were approved as correct records, with the exception of Item 4 – Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing – of the minutes of the meeting of the Licensing Sub-Committee held on 21st December 2020, which was amended by the substitution of the words ‘(NOTE: Councillor Cliff Woodcraft abstained from making a decision in this case.)’ for the words ‘(NOTE: Councillor Cliff Woodcraft voted against the proposal to revoke the licence.)’.

4.2

Arising therefrom, Councillor Cliff Woodcraft referred to the minutes of the meeting of the Licencing Sub-Committee held on 21st December 2020, expressing his concerns regarding the information and evidence presented to the meeting, and on which the Sub-Committee had been asked to make a decision.  He stated that the taxi company involved had investigated an issue regarding the actions of one of its drivers, which had resulted in the driver being dismissed.  Councillor Woodcraft was concerned that there was no evidence provided by the driver for consideration by the Sub-Committee which, in his opinion, made the evidence very one-sided, in favour of the taxi company.

4.3

Marie-Claire Frankie (Solicitor to the Committee) stated that the Licencing Service always requested that participants provide as much information and evidence as possible, and that Members could only make decisions based on the evidence provided.  Ms Frankie added that the Council did not have the power to request private companies to provide information they deemed confidential.

4.4

Steve Lonnia (Chief Licensing Officer) confirmed that the Licensing Service made every attempt to include all information and evidence provided by participants in reports submitted to the Sub-Committee, and that it was up to Members to give what weight they chose to do so based on the information and evidence provided.

4.5

RESOLVED: That the Committee:

(a)           notes the concerns now raised by Councillor Cliff Woodcraft, together with the comments now made; and

(b)           in the light of the concerns, requests the Chief Licencing Officer to (i) look at what paperwork was submitted to the Sub-Committee in this specific case, and (ii) ensure that every effort is made to include all relevant information and evidence in reports submitted to future meetings of the Sub-Committee.