Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence had been received from Councillors J Mackman and M McCartney.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the Licensing Committee’s held on 14 November 2022 and 12 December 2022.

The Committee considered the minutes of the meetings held on 14 November and 12 December 2022.

RESOLVED:

To approve the minutes of the Licensing Committee meetings held on 14 November 2022 and 12 December 2022.

A copy of the Register of Interest for each Selby District Councillor is available for inspection at www.selby.gov.uk.

Councillors should declare to the meeting any disclosable pecuniary interest in any item of business on this agenda which is not already entered in their Register of Interests. Councillors should leave the meeting and take no further part in the consideration, discussion or vote on any matter in which they have a disclosable pecuniary interest.

Councillors should also declare any other interests. Having made the declaration, provided the other interest is not a disclosable pecuniary interest, the Councillor may stay in the meeting, speak and vote on that item of business.

If in doubt, Councillors are advised to seek advice from the Monitoring Officer.

There were no disclosures of interest.

To confirm the procedure to be followed at the meeting, including the Council’s Taxi Licensing Policy.

The Committee noted the Licensing Committee procedure and the Council’s Taxi Licensing Policy.

Members were welcomed to the final Licensing Committee of Selby District Council.

The Chairman thanked his fellow Councillors and officers, both past and present, for their support and encouragement in his role as Chairman, and stated that it had been a privilege to be Chairman of the Committee.

Finally, the Chairman congratulated Councillor Tim Grogan who had recently been appointed as the Chair of Licensing Committee for the new unitary North Yorkshire Council.

That, in accordance with Section 100(A) (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, the meeting be not open to the Press and public during discussion of the following items as there will be disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12(A) of the Act.

It was proposed, and seconded, that the Committee sit in private session due to the nature of the business to be transacted.

RESOLVED:

That, in accordance with Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted the meeting be not open to the press and public during discussion of the following items as there will be disclosure of exempt information as described in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12(A) of the Act.

To receive a report, which asks the Committee to consider an application for a vehicle to be licenced as a Private Hire Vehicle; and for a Discreet Plate for that vehicle.

The Licensing Manager presented the report, which asked the Committee to consider an application for a vehicle to be licensed as a Private Hire vehicle, and should the application be approved, a further application for a discreet plate for that vehicle.

It was explained that the application had been brought before the Committee due to the application being contrary to Selby District Council’s Taxi Licensing Policy 2022, which stated that any vehicle licensed for the first time should be under the age of five years.  Members noted that the car to be licensed was eight years old.

Members attention was drawn to an email which had been circulated by the Democratic Services Officer prior to the meeting, in relation to the new North Yorkshire Council (NYC) Taxi Licensing Policy which would come into effect from the 1 April 2023.  The NYC Taxi Licensing Policy stated that any new application made in respect of any suitable vehicle should be under the age of ten years. 

The applicant and their partner were present and confirmed that they had received a copy of the report to be considered, and the procedure that would be followed at the meeting.

The applicant and their partner were able to respond to questions asked by the Committee concerning the report.The applicant, their partner and the Licensing Manager left the meeting at this point and did not return.

It was proposed and seconded that both applications for a Private Hire vehicle licence, and a discreet plate be deferred. A vote was taken on the proposal and was carried.

RESOLVED:

To defer the applications for a Private Hire vehicle licence, and a discreet plate.

Reason for decision:

The Committee deferred both applications as they did not feel that the applicant had provided the Committee with a satisfactory reason to depart from Selby District Council’s Taxi Licensing Policy.