Agenda and draft minutes

The Chair welcomed everyone to themeeting and askedthem to introduce themselves.He also provided safetyinformation for all those attending.

Councillor Eddy has given his apologies for this meeting.

Councillor Keen (Councillor Sergeant as substitute).

Councillors are requested to declare any interests in any of the substantive items.

There were none.

The Committee is requested to approve as a correct record the minutes held on 18^th October 2016.

The Minutes of the meeting of Sub-Committee Aheld on 19 October 2016 wereapproved as a correct recordand signed by the Chair.

To note the contents of the report and approve amendments to the Street Trading policy for adoption.

The Licensing Team Leader introduced the report and highlighted the four changes proposed. These were proposed to improve efficiency for applicants and to streamline some of the current processes.

These are summarised as follows:-

1. Consultation – applicant to place a site notice at the site detailing the application and how to object. Consultation period extended to 21 days;

2. Applicant to provide written permission from landowner to trade at the site before the application is processed;

3. Licensing Manager may determine all applications or refer to Committee. If the Licensing Manager was minded to refuse and the application was contentious, the Chair of PSP would be consulted;

4. Applicant to provide a basic disclosure every three years on renewal.

The following points arose from discussion:-

1. The service would be made more efficient as it would strip out speculative applications and multiple applications for the same site which had previously been refused;

2. The three-year disclosures would be in line with taxi driver applications. Currently, once granted, any criminal conviction would not have to be disclosed;

3. Councillor Pickersgill believed that the comment ‘too contentious’ was subjective and put an onus on the officers and asked whether it was possible to define this. She was informed that the policy set out the factors such as highways, noise, food littering. Currently, officers were in the position where they could not immediately refuse a ‘ludicrous’ application. This revision to the policy would allow that and free up Committees from considering them. Safeguards were in place as street trading applications would be circulated to ward Councillors and those applications which officers sensed were contentious would go before a Committee. He proposed that this revised arrangements operate for six months and then be reviewed. It was noted that the final policy wording should not use the term ‘too contentious’. It was agreed that a new form of wording should be ‘A decision to put an application before Committee was at the discretion of the Licensing Manager or Licensing Team Leader in consultation with the Chair of the Public Safety and Protection Committee’;

4. Site notices would be similar to the Licensing Act notices;

5. A publican or store manager might not be the landowner;

6. As these changes had not yet been publicised, it was proposed to update the guide for 1 April.

On being put to the vote, the recommendations were unanimously agreed, subject to revised wording as detailed above.

RESOLVED – that the contents of the report be noted and the amendments to the street trading policy be agreed, subject to the revised wording as detailed above.

Up to 30 minutes is allowed for this item.

Any member of the public or Councillor may participate in Public Forum. The

detailed arrangements for so doing are set out in the Public Information Sheet at

the back of this agenda.

Public Forum items should be emailed to

democratic.services@bristol.gov.uk and please note that the following deadlines

will apply in relation to this meeting:-

Questions - Written questions must be received 3 clear working days prior to the meeting.  For this meeting, this means that your question(s) must be received in this office at the latest by 5 pm on 22^nd February 2017.

Petitions and Statements - Petitions and statements must be received on the working day prior to the meeting.  For this meeting this means that your submission must be received in this office at the latest by 12.00 noon on 27 February 2017.

The Public Forum Statementswere noted and a copy wasplaced in the Minute Book for viewing by membersof the public.

At this point Councillor Sergeant arrived.

The Public Safety and Protection Committee is asked to:

a)   Accept the findings of the Bristol Hackney Carriage Unmet Demand Survey and agree to introduce a limitation on the number of hackney carriage vehicles licenced by the City Council that will not exceed 795 licences.  

b)   Agree that any new Hackney Carriage licences that may be issued (i.e. new licences that can be issued before the cap of 795 is reached) would only be issued in respect of vehicles that are classified as ULEV (Ultra Low Emission Vehicles - which would include hybrid vehicles), are purpose built wheelchair accessible vehicles and benefit from European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval.

c)   Agree to adopt the proposed changes to the draft Hackney Carriage Vehicle Policy as set out in the report.

d)   Agree to adopt the proposed changes to the draft Private Hire Vehicle Policy as set out in the report.

The Licensing Manager introduced the report and making the following points:-

1. The factors behind the review of the policy were changes in the dynamics of the taxi trade, more challenging market conditions and the need to move the fleet towards a more sustainable future with regards to improving air quality;

2. It was believed as regulator the Council should lead by example;

3. There had been extensive consultation with the trade and a complex picture was presented with regards to what was practical and feasible in relation to emissions;

4. There was no viable electric vehicle in the market place;

5.Major cities across the world are pledging to get rid  rid of diesel vehicles by 2024, this will pave the way for the need for new technology to satisfy the taxi market.

6. The prevalence of app based systems had fundamentally changed the market place;

7. CH2M carried out a Hackney Carriage Unmet Demand Survey in Spring 2016 on behalf of the City Council and despite finding there was no significant unmet demand, it recommended 3 alternative ways forward. Officers recommended imposing a numerical limit of 795 licences (the number of licences at the time). The number of licences was currently at 749. The trend suggested numbers were declining so this number seemed sensible;

8. The Council was committed to delivering electric alternative vehicles in Bristol and from 1 January 2018 new vehicle applications would not be accepted unless they were 0% emission capable;

9. The Council proposed a significant concession by allowing vehicles to be up to 3 ½ years old subject to the vehicle being Euro 6 standard. Currently vehicles had to be new. This enabled owners to maintain vehicles for a further year in order to make that trade;

10. The Committee were asked to have regard to an amendment to Condition 6 of the Hackney Carriage Vehicle Policy to ensure greater clarity. The Condition to now read ‘Any vehicle first registered between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2010 will not be licenced after 10 years from the date of first registration. Any vehicle over 10 years of age on or before 31 March 2018 will not be licenced past 31 March 2018.’

11. Euro 5 compliant vehicles would continue to be licenced for a further 10 years from the date of registration;

12. Private Hire vehicles should be petrol or petrol/hybrid from 1 April 2018 so that no new diesel vehicles would be licenced from Private Hire from that date;

13. It was noted that some manufacturers did not import diesel alternatives eg. Mercedes E Class. These makes were particularly popular with the Executive market so it was proposed to continue to licence these vehicles as the risk if, not, would be that the owners obtained their licence from South Gloucestershire and still operate from Bristol, and Bristol could not regulate them;

14. For both Hackney Carriage and Private Hire vehicles it was proposed that the standard for tints be lowered in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

The next meeting of PSP Sub-Committee A is scheduled for 28^th March 2017 immediately following the 10am Full Committee on that date