Agenda and minutes

Councillor Pickersgill moved that Councillor Hance be elected Chair. Councillor Windows seconded this motion.

Resolved – that the Councillor Fi Hance be elected Chair of the Sub Committee for the remainder of the 2017/18 Municipal Year.

(It was agreed that Councillor Pickersgill would retain the Chair the duration of this Meeting.)

There were none.

None were received.

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 by5 pm on 17 January 2018.

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 22 January 2018.

Nothing was received.

Recommended – that having regard to the quasi-judicial nature of the business

on the Agenda, those Committee Procedure Rules relating to the moving of

motions and the rules of debate (CMR10 and 11) be suspended for the duration

of the meeting.

Resolved – that having regard to the quasi-judicial nature of the business on the Agenda, those Committee Procedure Rules relating to the moving of motions and the rules of debate (CMR10 and 11) be suspended for the duration of the meeting).

Recommended – that under Section 11A(4) of the Local GovernmentAct 1972

the public beexcluded from themeeting for thefollowing items of business on theground that involve the likely disclosure of exemptinformation as defined in Part 1of Schedule 12A to theAct, as amended.

Resolved – that under Section 11A(4) of the Local GovernmentAct 1972,the press and public beexcluded for the following item of business on the ground that it involves thelikely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part1 of Schedule 12Ato the Act,as amended.

SS was in attendance.

The Chair explained the procedure that would be followed and everyone introduced themselves.

The Licensing Officer introduced the report and summarised it for everyone. She also apologised to SS for the delay in determining the application. This was caused by the Licensing Officer dealing with the application and processing the Gold Standard recently passed by SS, not being aware of the historic issues relating to this application. He/she would not have had sight of the DBS Check results on SS (these are confidential), showing previous convictions. SS may therefore have been given incorrect advice.

SS put his case and answered questions highlighting the following:

·                He tabled a written statement (which is attached to these Minutes)

·                He summarised the delay in determining his application

·                He had not included details of his previous convictions as they were a long time ago; he acknowledged that this was a mistake

·                His last conviction relating to Illegally Plying for Hire related to a Saturday night when he had been busy, it was late and he had felt pressurised by the two BCC employees who approached him into taking them in his taxi

·                He would work shorter hours in future and would be less likely to make a mistake such as Illegally Plying for Hire

·                He considers that he is a fit and proper person to hold the licences he has applied for

SS summed up the case.

The Legal Advisor confirmed that details of his convictions were included in the report.

The Licensing Officer and SS left the room whilst the Committee made its decision.

Decision

The Members considered very carefully all of the written and verbal evidence presented to them.

With reference to their Policy, Members noted that the last offence committed by SS was nearly 5 years ago and that by December of this year he will have been free from conviction for 5 years. Members also noted that SS had recently passed the Gold Standard. Members did not consider SS to be a danger to the public.

Therefore they agreed to grant the two licences applied for subject to him passing all the parts of the fit and proper person tests.

Everyone returned to the room to hear the decision announced.

Resolved – that Officers be authorised to grant SS a Private Hire Driver’s Licence and a Hackney Carriage Driver’s Licence, subject to SS passing all the parts of the fit and proper tests including the Knowledge Test for Hackney Carriage Drivers.

Members were advised that MA had mixed up the date of the Meeting and was not therefore in attendance.

Resolved – that consideration of this item be deferred until a future Meeting of the Committee.

It was noted that this item had been removed from the Agenda.