Agenda item

Following on from a request made by Councillor S. Robinson at the Licensing Committee meeting held on 13^th November 2023, Licensing Committee Members agreed for an additional meeting of the Committee to be held in order for officers, Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) to present a report on the Hackney Carriage Rank, Crown Close.

 

Members were therefore being asked to consider a report on the Hackney Carriage Stand in Market Street Service Road, Bromsgrove.

 

The Principal Licensing Officer, WRS introduced the report and in doing so, highlighted the following: -

 

In 2019, the Licensing Committee were made aware of some improvements

being made by Worcestershire County Council to walking and cycle routes

around Bromsgrove.

 

One aspect of these improvements had impacted on the existing hackney

carriage stand appointed by Bromsgrove District Council in the Market Street

service road (the bus station).

 

The improvement works required the relocation of the hackney carriage stand

and Worcestershire County Council (WCC) had committed to ensure that the

same number of spaces (five) would be retained for hackney carriages to stand

and ply for hire, on the opposite side of the road to the existing hackney carriage

stand.

 

A plan showing the location of the original hackney carriage stand, prior to the

changes, was detailed at Appendix to the report. A further plan showing the

new location of the hackney carriage stand was detailed at Appendix 2 to the

report. These plans showed that it was intended that spaces for five hackney

carriages to stand for hire would be retained.

 

WRS, having consulted on and advertising the proposal to relocate the hackney

carriage stand, the Licensing Committee instructed and delegated authority to

WRS officers to carry out the required legal processes to appoint a new

hackney carriage stand at the new location.

 

The District Council of Bromsgrove (Hackney Carriage Stands) Order 2020

(No.1) was subsequently made in December 2020 and the hackney carriage

stand was relocated as part of the improvements made to walking and cycling

routes in Bromsgrove.

 

Unfortunately, since the relocation of the hackney carriage stand it had become

apparent that the relocated stand was only actually long enough to be able to

accommodate four vehicles and not the five originally intended.

 

Following engagement between WRS and WCC, it was agreed that a further

space for a hackney carriage to stand and ply for hire could be located in the

bus station area. The location of this additional space was detailed at

Appendix 3 to the report.

WCC had confirmed that once Bromsgrove District Council had carried out the

required legal processes to amend the current Hackney Carriage Stand Order,

that they would provide the relevant signage and road markings.

 

Members were further informed that the first stage of the legal process when

amending a Hackney Carriage Stand Order was to consult on the proposals

with the Chief Officer of police and via a public notice to be published in a local

newspaper.

 

Members were therefore being asked to consider the information before them

and to determine if WRS officers should carry out the required consultation and

arrange for the required public notice to appear in a local newspaper.

 

Members were asked to note that, should any representations or objections be

Received, then these would be brought back to a future Licensing Committee

meeting for Members consideration.

 

However, Members were asked to note that if no representations or objections

were received, then officers be instructed and given delegated authority to carry

out the remaining legal processes in order to make the amendment to the

Hackney Carriage Stand Order. This would enable officers to move forward

more quickly with the legal processes if there were no representations or

objections for Members consideration.

 

The Principal Officer, WRS responded to questions from Members and

explained that part of the entrance to the new hackney carriage stand had been

built out (a slightly curved area) in order to lineate the area, and this had

resulted in the length of the hackney carriage stand being reduced and only

able to accommodate four vehicles. The taxi trade was initially told they would

not lose any spaces and initially the area was thought to be long enough to

accommodate five vehicles. However, we were now in a position whereby only

four vehicles could park on the hackney carriage stand. Both the taxi trade and

the County Council Member for St. John’s Ward had raised their concerns over

a period of time about the lost space.

 

Some Members questioned if five spaces could be accommodated in what

was a very busy service road for buses, taxis and business vehicles. Plus,

there had been previous issues with over-ranking of taxis. Were five spaces

enough?

 

The Principal Officer, WRS commented that the taxi trade had not requested

any additional spaces and that hackney carriage numbers in the district had

been falling.

 

The Principal Officer, WRS further clarified that only licensed hackney carriage

vehicles were allowed to stand and ply for hire. Licensed private hire vehicles

could not use the hackney carriage stand. Private hire vehicles had to be pre-

booked. Members were further informed as to how a hackney carriage and

private hire vehicle could be identified.

 

The Principal Officer, WRS responded to further questions with regards to

enforcement on hackney carriage stands. There were two roles, Civil

Enforcement Officers, who could issue fixed penalty notices; and Licensing

Officers, WRS. Licensing Officers, WRS cannot issue fixed penalty notices, but

they can issue notices and anyone found repeatedly offending can be

prosecuted, but this was a very lengthy process.

 

RESOLVEDthat

 

a)    officers be instructed to advertise the proposal to amend the District Council of Bromsgrove (Hackney Carriage Stands) Order 2020 (No.1);

 

b)    if any representations or objections are received, these will then be brought back before the Licensing Committee for consideration before a decision is taken about whether to proceed with the amendment being made to the Order; or,

 

c)    if no representations or objections are received regarding the proposed amendment, officers be directed and given delegated authority to carry out the remaining legal processes required to make the amendment to the Order.