Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors R. J. Hunter and P. M. McDonald.

To invite Councillors to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or Other Disclosable Interests they may have in items on the agenda, and to confirm the nature of those interests.

There were no declarations of interest.

The minutes of the Licensing Committee meeting held on 10^th November 2025 were submitted for Members’ consideration.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Licensing Committee meeting held on 10^th November 2025, be approved as a correct record.

The Licensing and Support Services Manager and Principal Officer (Licensing), Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) provided Members with a verbal update on the Council’s Street Trading Policy, and in doing so, explained that the current policy had come into effect on 1^st December 2017 and therefore the policy now needed to be reviewed to ascertain if the policy was still current.

Members were being asked for any comments / updates that they felt should be included within the policy, prior to consultation, should any changes be agreed during the course of the meeting. .

Licensing Officers, WRS had met with the Bromsgrove Centres Manager, whereby the possibility of including Street Trading Consents for one day events or pop up events (one and or two day events) should be included in the policy. There had been a number of community focused events in the District and it was felt unreasonable that Street Traders, who wanted to trade at these community focused events should have to pay the full cost of a Street Trading Consent, which was normally granted for a for 12 months.

A shorter duration other than 12 months could be considered but one / two day consents were not specifically referred to in the current policy, or any reference to reduced application costs for such community focused events.

Officers further referred to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and if signing up to the DBS Update Service Check should be included in the policy.

Members debated this and having debated the idea, felt that whilst this was a great idea, officers had previously stated that DBS checks could take anywhere between three to twelve weeks to be processed, so the DBS check may not be received in time for the applicant(s) to street trade at a community event. This would also create additional work for Licensing Officers who would have to recheck the DBS Update Service every six months.

Members also queried as to why applications could not be considered from anyone under 17 years of age, and restrictions on any assistants that successful applicants might employ. Officers clarified that there was specific legislation regulating the employment of young people, and the hours and type of work they could carry out / be employed for. Members agreed that information relating to the employment of young people should be referred to in the revised policy.

Members raised a query with regard to children putting up stalls outside of their homes to raise money for charity, was this considered Street Trading? And what would happen if any complaints were received from neighbours?

Officers stated that it was considered Street Trading, however a Street Trading Consent could only be issued to over 17 year olds. Officers would have to investigate any complaints received.

In response to further questions from Members, officers confirmed that Worcestershire County Council (Highways) were consulted with on Street Trading Applications, as detailed on page 18 of the main agenda pack – 3.3 Processing an Application.

Members further  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21/25

The Licensing and Support Services Manager, Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) reminded the Committee as to the reasons why this report was being presented to the Committee.

At the Licensing Committee meeting held on 10^th November 2025 Members had asked for reassurance that officers were carrying out all of the necessary checks required for taxi licensing in a timely manner since the introduction of the new Government’s Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards guidance in 2022, with particular emphasis on the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) processing and checking through the renewals process.

This report was to inform Committee Members and to provide reassurance that the process for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire driver licences had evolved since the implementation of the requirements set out in the Government’s Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards guidance in 2022.

The Council’s Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy, as detailed at Appendix 1 to the report, set out the criteria that any applicant must meet in order to obtain a driver licence. The policy relating to driver licences was in accordance with the Government’s Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards guidance 2022.

As part of a recent internal monitoring the licensing team had acknowledged that the requirements set out in the Government’s Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards guidance 2022, had clearly strengthened safeguarding checks and internal procedures. As a result, there had been a domino effect of extra officer checks being undertaken by the licensing team.

There were three key items when carrying out such checks, as referred to in the report:-

·       DBS certificate

·       Worcestershire Taxi and Private Hire Competency Certificate

·       National Register of Revocations and Refusals (NR3 register)

With regards to drivers having to sign up to the DBS Update Service, any driver refusing to sign up to the DBS Update Service would be brought before a  Licensing Sub-Committee. A new licence would not be issued without a licencing officer seeing a current DBS certificate. Officers wanted to further reassure Committee Members that they did carry out a lot of checks and chasing of drivers and new applicants.

In response to questions on who the onus was with regarding DBS information, the Licensing and Support Services Manager, WRS stated that the onus was on the driver to notify licensing officers of any changes to their DBS certificate. Officers carried out six monthly checks on the DBS Update Service, but as highlighted in the Councils’ Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy – Change of Circumstances B.11, the onus was on the driver, as detailed in the policy:-

’A licence holder must notify the licensing authority as soon as reasonably practicable and within no more than 48 hours in any of the following circumstances:

• if they been arrested or charged by the police in relation to any offence (including motoring offences)

• if they receive a conviction, caution or fixed penalty in relation to any offence (including motoring offences)’

The Licensing and Support Services Manager, WRS  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22/25

Section 3.4.2          Private Hire

Section 3.11.0        Hackney Carriage

Members received an information report on the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licence Renewal Upper Age Limits.

The Principal Officer (Licensing), Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) presented the report.

Members were reminded that the Committee had previously queried the number of applications received for hackney carriage and private hire licences which fell outside of the Council’s current Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy in terms of vehicle age limits. Members had asked if the hackney carriage and private hire vehicle age restrictions should be increased.

The Council’s current hackney carriage and private hire vehicle age requirements for both new and renewal licence applications were set out in section 3.0 to 3.4 of the current Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy, Appendix 1 to the report.

At the Licensing Committee meeting held on 10^th November 2025, Members had requested that an information report be presented to the Committee in order for Committee Members to consider whether the current policy around the upper vehicle age limits was suitable and functional.

Members had raised some concern that a high proportion of vehicles were being presented to Licensing Sub-Committee meetings; and were subsequently being granted a licence due to their vehicles being of an exceptional standard.

Members were informed that, as detailed in the report, hackney carriage and private hire vehicle licences may be issued to vehicles that fell outside of the vehicle age policy providing that the vehicle presented was of an ‘exceptional standard.’

In the past 3 years between February 2023 and February 2026, the Council had received and considered 11 applications to licence a vehicle outside of the vehicle age policy. This number compared to other districts across Worcestershire was relatively small.

The Principal Officer (Licensing) WRS, drew Members’ attention to paragraph 3.3 of the report (page 4 of the Supplementary Agenda Pack) (with regard to applications received and subsequently granted by Licensing Sub-Committee Members), the report detailed that:-

‘All of the 11 applications considered were in relation to hackney carriage vehicles, and all were granted.’

Members were informed that not all 11 applications were granted. 1 application was refused and went to an appeal, but it did not proceed as the appellant withdraw his appeal.

At the time of writing this report, the total number of licensed vehicles on the Council’s taxi fleet was 89, which consisted of 80 hackney carriage vehicles and 9 private hire vehicles.

It was difficult to predict how many applications might be made in 2026 requesting for a vehicle licence to be granted outside of age policy. However, records held indicated that of the 89 currently licensed vehicles, only three vehicles would be eligible to apply.

Officers had carried out a benchmarking exercise, setting out comparable vehicle age limits with neighbouring local authorities within and bordering Worcestershire, as detailed at Appendix 2 to the report.

The Principal Officer (Licensing), WRS, reminded Members that should they wish to change Sections 3.4.2 and 3.11.0 of the Council’s Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy, then  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23/25

The Committee considered the Licensing Committee Work Programme for 2025/26.

Following on from the items discussed during the course of the meeting, it was agreed that the Licensing Committee Work Programme for the new municipal year 2026/2027 be updated as follows:-

a)    Street Trading Policy – draft, revised policy to be considered by  the Committee, prior to consultation at the Licensing Committee meeting on 20^th July 2026.

b)  Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy – sections that contain 

     duplicate information to be amalgamated in order to make the policy easier

     to read. The amalgamated areas to be highlighted, and the policy to be

     provided to Licensing Committee Members at the next meeting on 20^th July

     2026.

c) The Democratic Services Officer to check when the last review of Hackney

    Carriage taxi stands in District were last reviewed and depending on the time

    of such a review, if a further review of Hackney Carriage taxi stands in the

    District should be included on the Work Programme.                   

RESOLVED that the Licensing Committee Work Programme 2026/2027, be updated to include the items as detailed in the preamble above.

There was no urgent business on this occasion.