The Meeting Commenced at 7:00Pm and Concluded Atx.Xxpm

BOROUGH OF POOLE

LICENSING COMMITTEE

6 MARCH 2012

The Meeting commenced at 7:00pm and concluded atX.XXpm.

Present

Councillor Rampton (Chairman)

Councillor Maiden and Wilkins (Vice-Chairmen)

Councillors Brown, Burden, Chandler, Mrs Evans, Godfrey, Goodall, Matthews, Mrs Parkinson and Ms Thomas

Also Present

Nick Maguire – Democratic Support Officer, Legal and Democratic Services

Frank Wenzel –Licensing Team Manager, Environmental and Consumer Protection Services

Rob Spencer - Treatment and Effectiveness Workforce Co-ordinator, Commissioning & Improvement - Peoples Services

Wesley Freeman & Karen Fry (Passenger Transport Co-Ordinators) – Transportation Services

Members of the Public Present: X

LC30.13APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Parker.

LC31.13DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

No declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests were made.

LC32.13MINUTES

RESOLVED that having been previously circulated, the Minutes of the under mentioned meetings be taken as read, confirmed and signed by the Chairman as a true record:

1. the Licensing Committee held on 12 December 2012;
2. the Licensing Sub-Committee held on 5 December 2012; and
3. the Taxi & Private Hire Sub-Committee (Confidential and Open) held on 19 February 2013.

LC33.1ALCOHOL HARM REPORT

The Treatment and Effectiveness Workforce Co-ordinator submitted a Report updating Members on the progress of Poole Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy (AHRS) 2013-15.

The AHRS is essentially completed; DAAT’s SMG had asked that the PCC and CCG give their thoughts to the strategy by mid March 2013.

Alcohol-related harm costs the NHS around £2.7 billion each year and had social and health consequences for drinkers & their families.Detailed analysis of all the previous AHRS targets and successes had been included in the new 2013-2015 strategy.

The Borough undertook an alcohol overview and scrutiny in November 2011; with the key findings of that day included in the new strategy.The new strategy included a clear set of outcome measures to be achieved. These had been agreed with partners and stakeholders.

For drug and alcohol treatment services in Poole; 5 years ago the typical client was male, under 35 years old, requiring treatment for heroin addiction. The current archetypal client was still male, but over 35 and requiring alcohol treatment.

Scrutiny of the new strategy is due to take place later in 2013.

Key Highlights:

Almost 22,500 adults in Poole were drinking above the Government’s Lower risk guidelines. And within that number there were around 18,600 binge drinkers.

3,500 school pupils aged 11-15 were believed to have drunk alcohol at least once and just over a thousand in the last week.

The key new strategy aims were:

• A change in behaviour so that people think it not acceptable to drink in ways that could cause harm to themselves or others;
• A reduction in the amount of alcohol-fuelled violent crime;
• A reduction in the numbers of adults drinking above the recommended guidelines;
• A reduction in the number of people “binge drinking”;
• A reduction in the number of alcohol-related deaths;
• A sustained reduction in both the numbers of 11-15 year olds drinking alcohol and amounts consumed; and
• A reduction in alcohol related hospital admissions.

The report also detailed the estimated the:

numbers of Poole’s adult population, aged 16+;

• number of children in Poole aged 11-15drinking;
• numbers of 16-24 year olds drinking;

RESOLVED thatthe Report of the Treatment and Effectiveness Workforce Co-ordinator be noted.

LC34.13TAXI/PRIVATE HIRE LICENSING

(a)Licence fees 2013/14.

The Passenger Transport Co-ordinator submitted a report detailing the

proposed scale of charges for Taxi Licensing fees for 2013/14.

Local Authorities are given the provision to control the levying of fees under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 – Section 53(2) in respect of drivers’ licences for both hackney carriages and private hire vehicles and Section 70 in respect of hackney carriage proprietors’ licences, private hire vehicle licences and private hire operators’ licences.

Figures provided by Financial Services showed that there had been an increase between December 2011 and December 2012 of 3.1% for the Retail Price Index (RPI) and an increase of 2.7% for the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The fees had been increased to reflect this with some rounding.

If changes are made to the fees for Hackney Carriage Proprietors Licences, Private Hire Vehicle Licences or Private Hire Operators Licences, these would have to be advertised with a cost of approximately £400. If they were not changed there would be no need to advertise.

The recommended proposed charges for 2013/14 were:

Existing Fees
2012/13 / Proposed Fees
2013/14 / Approximate Number of Applications / licences per year
Drivers / New application / £85 / £88 / 60
Issue of Licence / £58 / £60 / 60
Renewal of licence / £58 / £60 / 340
Existing Fees
2012/13 / Proposed Fees
2013/14 / Approximate Number of Applications / licences per year
Vehicles / New & Renewals / £138 / £ 141 / 255
Transfer / £42 / £43 / 50
Operators / 1 to 5 vehicles / £68 / £70 / 69
6 or more vehicles / £115 / £118 / 5
Misc. / Upgrade of private hire to hackney carriage driver (includes fee for knowledge of the borough test) / £31.50 / £32.50
Additional Knowledge Tests for new applicants / £31.50 / £32.50
Replacement of lost or stolen ID badge / £8 / £8
Replacement of lost or stolen vehicle plate / £10 / £10
Replacement Hackney vehicle side sticker / £7 / £7

RESOLVED that the proposed scale of charges for Taxi Licensing for 2013/14,as set out above be approved.

(a)Fares 2013/14

The Passenger Transport Co-ordinator submitted a report advising the Committee that a request had been received from the Poole Taxi Trade for changes to the maximum Hackney Carriage fares by the adoption of the same fare chart which is to be introduced in Bournemouth in April 2013

Taxis were an integral part of the area’s public transport network. The Borough of Poole had the power to regulate the maximum fares that could be charged for taxis. The setting of fares for hackney carriages was governed by the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976.

To help facilitate the process of calculating fares increases the trade was requested to adopt a formula for calculating future changes. In 2010 it was agreed that the formula used by Bournemouth would be used. This formula used changes in national wage levels and the cost of motoring to calculate a percentage change in costs which is applied to taxi fares. Since the introduction of the formula, taxi fares therefore increased at the same level across both Poole and Bournemouth and the actual fares charged at this time in both areas were very similar.

In 2012 the Poole Taxi Trade proposed that the same fare chart as used in Bournemouth should be adopted by the Taxi Trade in Poole and this was agreed by the Licensing Committee on 18 April 2012.

In February 2013, following discussions within the trade and a Fares Forum, a proposal had been put forward by representatives from the Independent Hackneys, Poole Radio Cabs, Ariel Taxis, Dial-a-Cab, Parkstone Cars and Dolphin Taxis to again adopt the same fare chart as has been agreed for Bournemouth and which would come into force in April 2013.

The proposed tariffs showed an increase in fares of 3.2% This had been calculated by the formula used by Bournemouth which took an average of the annual increase in motoring costs (4.2%) and the annual average increase in earnings for the whole economy (2.2%). The new Bournemouth table of fares had been agreed by Bournemouth Licensing Board on 29th January 2013 and would be introduced for Bournemouth’s licensed vehicles in April 2013.

The rates per mile for a typical journey on Tariff 1 (Basic Day Rate) would increase as follows:-

Day Rate / First Mile / 2 Miles / 3 Miles / 4 Miles / 5 Miles
Current / £3.99 / £6.07 / £8.16 / £10.24 / £12.32
Proposed / £4.12 / £6.27 / £8.42 / £10.57 / £12.72

The new Bournemouth fare chart also showed an increase in the booking fee for each pre-arranged hiring. The currentday rate booking fee was 60p and this would increase to 80p whilst the Unsocial Hours and Christmas and New Year fee would increase from 75p to £1. The current booking fees had not been increased since 2004.

The report advised the Members that if the above proposal was agreed by the Licensing Committee, the new rates would have to be advertised in the press and 14 days allowed for receipt of written objections. The cost would be approximately £600 for which a budget was available. Any objections would be considered by the Head of Transportation Services under delegated authority and if it was decided to proceed, the revised fares would potentially be introduced in April2013.

RESOLVED thatthat the proposed scale of charges for maximum Hackney Carriage fares as set out above be approved.

LC35.13URGENT BUSINESS

No matters were raised.

CHAIRMAN

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