Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Graham Ellwood, Mike Hurdle and Nigel Manning.

In accordance with the revised local Code of Conduct, a councillor is required to disclose at the meeting any disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI) that they may have in respect of any matter for consideration on this agenda.  Any councillor with a DPI must notparticipate in any discussion or vote regarding that matter and they must also withdraw from the meeting immediately before consideration of the matter.

If that DPI has not been registered, the councillor must notify the Monitoring Officer of the details of the DPI within 28 days of the date of the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting of the Licensing Committee held on 17 January 2018.

The minutes of the meeting held on 17 January 2018 were confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chairman.

The Committee considers and adopts the new Street Trading Policy 2018 -2023 with effect from 27 March 2018.

The Committee received a report on the draft Street Trading Policy 2018-2023 to be approved with effect from 27 March 2018. 

The Committee at its meeting on 17 September 2017 approved the draft Street Trading Policy for consultation.  The consultation was publicised through a number of forums as well as on the Guildford Borough Council website.  Ten consultation responses were received, five from members of the public, two from responsible authorities, two from residents and one from Worplesdon Parish Council.  The consultation results were supportive of the Street Trading Policy and therefore did not necessitate any changes to be made to it.  The consultation indicated strong agreement with the criteria used to determine applications in the draft policy and with taking a light touch approach towards trading at community/charity events.  The Committee was reminded that on the 17 January 2018, they adopted a new resolution designating all streets within the Borough as consent streets.

The Committee queried how in depth a Basic Disclosure Certificate was.  The Licensing Team Leader confirmed that it was a basic criminal record check that was undertaken to ascertain if a street trader was a suitable person to hold a street trading consent.  The Committee also queried whether condition no.24 in Appendix 1 of the Street Trading Policy would be readily enforced on a day-to-day basis.   That condition required all traders to move their vehicle/stall at the end of each day’s trading.  The Licensing Team Leader confirmed that if a street trader persistently did not comply with condition 24 then applicable enforcement action would be taken.  The Committee noted that the trading hours of each vendor would be assessed on a case-by-case basis. 

Having considered the consultation results of the draft Street Trading Policy, the Committee

RESOLVED:

To adopt the new Street Trading Policy 2018-2023 with effect from 27 March 2018. 

That the Committee considers and approves the Taxi and Private Hire Fees and Charges for 2018/19 with effect from 1 April 2018.

The Committee received a report recommending that the Taxi and Private Hire Fees and Charges for 2018/19, were approved with effect from 1 April 2018. 

The Committee noted that at its meeting on 17 January 2018, it approved the proposed taxi and private hire fees and charges for the financial year 2018/19.  One objection had been received from a member of the trade; therefore, the advertised fees and charges could not come into effect until the objection had been formally considered.  The objection from a Hackney Carriage proprietor objected to the proposed fees and charges, but did not give any reasons for the objection. The Committee noted that the fees and charges had been calculated using an approved, transparent methodology.  The objector also referred to the setting of hackney carriage fares, which was unconnected to setting licence fees. 

The Committee noted that the net increase for Hackney Carriage operator’s fees was relatively small of £10.59.  In addition, given that only one unparticularised objection had been received, the Committee

RESOLVED:

To approve the Taxi and Private Hire Fees and Charges for 2018/19, with effect from 1 April 2018. 

The Committee is asked to note the Licensing Committee Work Programme for 2018-19.

The Committee noted their work programme for 2018-19.