Committee Hearings and Decisions
The Licensing and Public Safety Committee is made up of 15 members, including a chair and vice chair. This Committee meets up to 4 times per year and is responsible for making all policy decision in relation to taxi licensing (Full Council decision April 2008).
Reports are submitted by officers for decisions and are published 5 clear working days prior to the meeting.
Officers will give a verbal presentation of the report and the committee will vote. The minutes and decisions are published by Democratic Services.
In April 2016 a formal public questions procedure was agreed by the Council to ensure that members of the public and trade had an opportunity to put questions to the Committee in advance of the meeting and allow a response to be prepared. The Chair may still exercise discretion with regard to permitting additional questions or comments from the public during meetings.
The General Licensing Sub-Committee meetings are provisionally set on a monthly basis; however the dates can change in certain circumstances to accommodate applicants or deal with urgent issues or the meetings cancelled where there are no matters for consideration.
Where the General Licensing Sub-Committee meeting is hearing a matter whereby sensitive or personal information is necessary for the decision process, the reports for such cases will be restricted and not for general publication on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 4 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (Information relating to any individual).
Information is exempt to the extent that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.
The General Licensing Sub-Committee consists of 5 members and will be chaired by either the chair or vice chair of the Licensing and Public Safety Committee (Full Council decision April 2008).The hearing follows a written procedure with the parties allowed to speak and question one another in sequence.
A legal advisor from the Council is present at both committees to provide guidance on the legislation and existing policy to members.
An Officer from the Council’s Democratic Services team will take minutes and is responsible for the publication of minutes and decisions.
Where representations are made by applicants or the trade, a legal advisor, advocate or friend may represent an applicant or members of the trade and will be given time to present their case.
Members may wish to ask Officers, applicants or trade representative further questions to clarify points regarding the decision.
When the members of the General Licensing Sub-Committee are ready to make a decision all officers, except for the Council’s legal advisor and democratic services officer, and all other attendees, including the applicant and their representative must leave the meeting.
Decisions made by the committee will be relayed to the applicant as soon as possible, initially verbally and then in writing within 5 working days of the meeting. Any right of appeal to the courts against the decision will be confirmed within the decision notice and letter.