Agenda item

The Committee received an update report with regard to representations or objections received to the advertisement of the proposal to amend the District Council of Bromsgrove (Hackney Carriage Stands) Order 2020 (No.1). 

The Principal Officer (Licensing), Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS), reminded Members that: -

On 12^th January 2024, Licensing Committee Members had instructed officers

to carry out the required consultation and to arrange for the required public

notice to appear in a local newspaper; of the proposal to amend the District Council of Bromsgrove (Hackney Carriage Stands) Order 2020 (No.1). 

Licensing Committee Members had also agreed that should any representations or objections to the proposal be received, that these would be brought back before Licensing Committee Members for consideration before a decision was taken about whether to proceed with the amendment being made to the Order.

The advertisement of the proposal was now completed and one representation had been received, as detailed at Appendix 4 to the report.

The representation questioned the process that was followed to advertise

the proposed changes.  The representation also questioned what impact the

proposed changes would have on buses and those that use them, asserting

that Crown Close was a very busy area.

The Principal Officer (Licensing) WRS, reassured Members that, as

detailed in the report; that the advertising of the proposed changes had been

carried out in accordance with the requirements of section 63 of the Local

Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976.

Members were further informed that officers had been advised that providers

of bus services had been consulted with on the proposed changes by relevant

officers at Worcestershire County Council and that no objections had been

raised.

No objections or representations had received from West Mercia Police in

respect of the proposed changes.

Officers believed that making the proposed change to the stand for hackney

carriages would not unreasonably prevent access to any premises and would

not impede the use of any points authorised for the taking up or setting down

of passengers by a local service or PSV operator’s licence.

The following Appendices were also included with the report: -

In response to several questions from Committee Members, with regard to public safety and potential passengers getting into a hackney carriage that was ranked on the proposed fifth taxi rank space.  The Principal Officer (Licensing), WRS, commented that this should not create as issue.; as passengers using the rank would be expected to use the hackney carriage that was ranked in the first space. 

Some Members reiterated this and agreed that passengers would use the hackney carriage ranked in the first space, and should any passengers try and access a hackney carriage ranked in the fifth (or other spaces) would be directed by the licensed driver to use the first hackney carriage vehicle.

The hackney carriage rank was a feeder rank, whereby licensed drivers would use the other four spaces to sit and wait and move along the rank, as soon as the first ranked vehicle was hired.

Some Members felt that it was appropriate that the local resident who had submitted a representation (Appendix 4) be advised that the Committee had taken into account their representation. The Principal Officer (Licensing) WRS, agreed to inform the local resident.

RESOLVED:

a)    that officers undertake the required legal processes to make, alter or revoke the District Council of Bromsgrove (Hackney Carriage Stands) Order 2020 (No.1) as necessary in order to implement the additional space for hackney carriages to stand for hire, as detailed at Appendix 3 to the report.