Agenda and minutes

Licensing Sub-Committee - Wednesday, 20th October, 2021 10.00 am

Venue: Council Chamber - Council Offices. View directions

Contact: Linda Yarham  Email: linda.yarham@north-norfolk.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Minutes:

None.

2.

ITEMS OF URGENT BUSINESS

To determine any other items of business which the Chairman decides should be considered as a matter of urgency pursuant to Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

Minutes:

None.

3.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members are asked at this stage to declare any interests that they may have in any of the following items on the agenda.  The Code of Conduct for Members requires that declarations include the nature of the interest and whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest.

Minutes:

None.

4.

EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC

To pass the following resolution:

 

“That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 1 of Part I of Schedule 12A (as amended) to the Act.”

Minutes:

RESOLVED

 

That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A (as amended) to the Act.

 

5.

(WK/210013047) - Review of a Private Hire Operators Licence and a Private Hire Vehicle Licences in North Norfolk

Summary:

This report relates to a review of a Private Hire Operator and Private Hire Vehicle Licence.

Conclusions:

Members may wish to go into Private session to hear fully from the applicant and consider this matter in confidence. 

Recommendations:

That Members consider and determine this application.

Chairman of the Licensing Committee

Councillor P Bütikofer

Ward(s) affected:

All

 

Contact Officer, telephone number, and e?mail:

 

Lara Clare

lara.clare@north-norfolk.gov.uk

01263 516252

 

 

Minutes:

(WK/210013047) - Review of a Private Hire Operators Licence and a Private Hire Vehicle Licences in North Norfolk

 

Present: Licence Holder

 

The Members of the Panel and Officers introduced themselves.

 

The Legal Advisor outlined the purpose of the hearing and explained the procedure for the meeting. 

 

The Licensing Enforcement Officer presented the report, which related to a review of a Private Hire Operator’s Licence and Private Hire Vehicle Licence.

 

In response to questions by the Licence Holder, the Licensing Enforcement Officer explained that she had found out about the action taken against him by the Office of the Traffic Commissioner (OTC) through the press, and he had not declared this on his applications for the licences now under review.  The Council’s remit was to protect the public, and this hearing had been called to hear why the Licence Holder considered himself to be a fit and proper person. There had been no correspondence since the issue of his licences by the Council to indicate that there had been any complaints.  However, the Council was permitted to take any information into account in determining this case.  The only vehicle that was relevant to this hearing was the one that had been licensed by this authority, and relevant issues regarding the repair that had been carried out to that vehicle. 

 

The Chairman explained that the Sub-Committee understood that articles in the press were written to sell newspapers but it had to be considered as it was in the public domain.  She invited the Licence Holder to make his statement.

 

The Licence Holder explained that the taxi operation was not his main business but he wanted to avoid having it taken away.  He had had two years of uncertainty regarding the action by the OTC, following which action had been taken that was detrimental to his business.  He outlined the history of his business and stated that other companies had made complaints to the OTC, as a result of which an unannounced inspection had been carried out.  Until that investigation, all roadside checks had been passed with no problem.  He had a maintenance agreement with a third party, who would not have signed any vehicle off if it was unsafe.  The issues related to record keeping and the lack of a forward plan. 

 

The Licence Holder stated that the company had a very good relationship with its customers, who had said they would continue to support him.  He considered that the company was a victim of its own success and he was guilty of not saying no.  He explained how his business was now operating and his intentions for the business going forward.  He was not interested in operating a taxi service, but retained the vehicle licensed by NNDC to offer an additional service in conjunction with the main function of the business.

 

The Licence Holder apologised for omitting to make the Council aware of the action taken against him by the OTC.  He had been naïve in his understanding that the two  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.