Agenda and draft minutes

Moved by Councillor David Bennett and seconded by Councillor Rita Turner

RESOLVED that Councillor Emma Stevenson be elected as Chair for the meeting.

Councillor Emma Stevenson in the Chair

An apology of absence was received on behalf of Councillor Mary Dooley.

Members should declare the existence and nature of any Disclosable Pecuniary Interest and Non Statutory Interest as defined by the Members’ Code of Conduct in respect of:

a) any business on the agenda

b) any urgent additional items to be considered

c) any matters arising out of those items

and if appropriate, withdraw from the meeting at the relevant time.

There were no declarations of interest made.

To consider the minutes of the General Licensing Sub Committee meeting held on 1^st February 2024.

Moved by Councillor Rita Turner and seconded by Councillor Emma Stevenson

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the General Licensing Sub Committee held on 1^st February 2024 be approved as a true and correct record.

To move:-

“That the public be excluded from the meeting during the discussion of the following items of business to avoid the disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 1, Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006)”.

Moved by Councillor Emma Stevenson and seconded by Councillor David Bennett

RESOLVED that under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the stated Paragraph of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act and it is not in the public interest for that to be revealed.

The Chair opened the meeting and welcomed those in attendance.

The Licence Holder was not present at the meeting.  The Licence Holder had informed Council Officers of their intention to return their Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Driver’s Vehicle license and remain absent for the meeting.

Moved by Councillor Emma Stevenson and seconded by Councillor David Bennett

RESOLVED that the Sub Committee proceeded in the Licence Holder’s absence.

The Licensing and Enforcement Officer presented the report to the Sub Committee.

The Council was responsible for the licensing and regulation of Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Vehicles, Drivers and Operators under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 and the Town Police Clauses

Act 1847.

The Council had a Taxi Licensing Policy which set out the standards that drivers were expected to meet to show they were ‘Fit and Proper’ to hold a licence with the Council.

As part of the Council’s responsibilities, the General Licensing Sub Committee was required to consider applications and / or requests where an applicant or licence holder had failed to meet the required standards set in the Council’s Taxi Licensing Policy (the ‘Policy’).

The Licence Holder had held a combined Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Vehicle Driver’s Licence with the Council since 13^th March 2018, with the current licence due to expire on 12^th March 2027.  A copy of the licence was attached at Appendix 1 and 2.

On 22^nd October 2024, the Licensing Team had received an anonymous complaint alleging that on 21^st October 2024, at around 14:05 hours, the Licence Holder had been involved in an altercation with two scooters on Balmoral Drive after the junction of Ballater Close, Mansfield.  The complaint alleged that the Licence Holder’s vehicle was involved in an incident where their vehicle may have collided with an individual on a scooter before proceeding to drive away.

The Licensing Team subsequently contacted the Licence Holder’s Private Hire Operator to obtain a copy of the CCTV footage from the vehicle.  The CCTV footage (internal and external) of the journey subject to the complaint was shown to the sub-committee.

On 30^th October 2024, the Licence Holder had attended the Council offices to discuss the complaint, they were interviewed by the Licensing and Enforcement Officer and  Licensing Support Officer.  A copy of the minutes of this meeting was attached at Appendix 3.

During this meeting, the Licence Holder was asked on more than one occasion to lower their voice as they became frustrated at having to recount the incident.  The Licence Holder was offered the opportunity to view the CCTV footage of the incident but declined, stating they had already given their version of events to their Private Hire Operator and Nottinghamshire Police.

Following the meeting on 30^th October 2024, the Officers in attendance made a report to the Licensing Team Manager.  They had been concerned about the Licence Holder’s behaviour during the meeting.  Officers reported that the Licence Holder had been intimidating and irate, and for  ...  view the full minutes text for item GLSC6--24/25