Agenda and minutes

Members are asked to declare any interests in the items under consideration and in doing so state:

(1) the type of interest concerned either a

(a)   personal interest

(b)   prejudicial interest

(c)    disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI)

and

(2) the nature of the interest concerned

If any member requires advice on declarations of interests, they are advised to contact the Head of Democratic Governance in advance of the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest on this occasion.

To agree the minutes of the last meeting held on 21 February 2023 as a true and correct record.

The Sub-Committee considered the minutes of the last meeting held on 21 February

2023.

Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 21 February

2023 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

To consider the allocation of street collections for 2023/2024.

The Sub-Committee considered the allocation of street collections for 2022/23 and applications received from both those organisation on the approved Council list and other organisations.

The Sub-Committee considered the recommendations from Trading Standards and Licensing Service around the number of collectors for 2 of the proposed collections for McMillan Cancer and Diabetes UK. The initial collection applications for McMillan Cancer and Diabetes UK had requested approval of 20 collectors, the recommendation from the Trading Standards and Licensing Service had been to cap the collectors at a maximum of 4 per collection.

The Sub-Committee considered the recommendations and agreed to allow a maximum of 4 collectors in relation to the McMillan Cancer and, Diabetes UK collections.

Resolved:

1. To approve street collection permits for the following organisations from the

Council’s approved list for the forthcoming 12 month period:

-          Blackpool R.N.L.I. – Friday 7 April 11am-4pm, 6 collectors on Promenade between Sandcastle and North pier.

-          Trinity Hospice – Sunday 14 May 10-2pm, 5 Collectors on Blackpool Promenade during the annual Beaverbrooks 10k Fun run. Local Charity.

-          RSPCA – Friday 26 May, 10am-4pm, 6 collectors Church Street/Abingdon Street, bucket collection.

-          Royal British Legion – 28 October to 11 November 2023, Poppy Appeal, 50 collection sites throughout Blackpool.

2. To approve street collection permits for the following organisations from the Council’s approved list for the forthcoming 12 month period:

-          Marie Curie Cancer Care – Saturday 29 April – 2.30-3.30pm, 6 collectors in St John’s Square. Irish dancing from Whittaker Dance and Drama.

-          Broadway Stars Morris Dancers – Friday 19 May, 10.30am-5pm, 10 Collectors, performing dance on Comedy Carpet.

-          Brian House and Children with Cancer UK – Saturday 27 May, 11am-6pm, 6 Collectors, Blackpool ‘Souls in Motion’, dancing on the Comedy carpet.

-          McMillan Cancer – Friday 2 June and Saturday 3 June, 9am-6pm, of 4 collectors, St John’s Square to Church Street. Jim Allan co-ordinator, successful collections and returns 2017.

-          Diabetes UK – Friday 23 June and Saturday 24 June, 9am-6pm, 4 collectors, St John’s Square to Church Street. Jim Allan co-ordinator.

-          Blue Skies Hospitals Fund – Wednesday 5 July, 4.30pm-9.30pm, 8 collectors, sponsored walk Starr Gate to Victoria Hospital, 75th Anniversary Appeal.

-          The Christie Charity  - Sunday 9 July, 10am-5pm, 4 collectors, South Promenade and Solaris Centre. Annual Manchester to Blackpool bike ride.

-          National Coastwatch institute – Saturday 22 July, 10am-5pm, 12 collectors, sponsored walk, Blackpool Tower to Fleetwood along promenade.

3. To delegate authority to the Trading Standards and Licensing Manager to issue further suitable applicants with permits.

4. To authorise the grant of a permit under the street collection regulations to cover the public collections made via the collection booths during the period of the Illuminations and to permit the sale to the public of a brochure on the evening of the 2023 Illuminations Switch On.

Resolved: That under Section 100 (A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the whole item, including the decisions referred to at Agenda item 4 on the grounds that it would involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

To consider a new applicant who has been convicted of offences or who has otherwise given reasons for concern.

The Sub-Committee considered an applicant who had been convicted of offences or who had otherwise given the Licensing Authority cause for concern.

Mr Ryan Ratcliffe presented a report on the applicant CJS, who had applied for a Private Hire Driver’s Licence and had been convicted of offences or had otherwise given reasons for concern.

On 13 December 2022 CJS had submitted an application for a Private Hire Driver’s Licence, however as part of that process an applicant had been required to submit a Disclosure and Barring Service Check. CJS had produced a DBS certificate to the Licensing Service on the 21 January 2023. The certificate revealed 7 convictions for 11 separate offences dating from January 2013 to July 2018, 6 of those convictions occurred between January to December 2013. The last conviction from July 2018 was for 2 violent offences (Battery and Assault Occasioning Actual Bodily Harm.)

Mr Ratcliffe advised the Sub-Committee of the relevant Policy which had been section 3 of the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Convictions Policy in relation to offences involving violence which stated “Where an applicant has a conviction for an offence of violence against the person, or connected with any offence of violence, a licence will not be granted until at least 10 years have elapsed since the completion of any sentence imposed.”

The Sub-Committee were asked to carefully consider the granting of an application in relation to CJS.

CJS was present before the Sub-Committee with a representative who was a Director of the Taxi Company C Cabs.

CJS presented their own case requesting the Sub-Committee grant the licence. CJS had accepted responsibility for their past actions, 5 of which happened when they were 19 years of age, a decade previous. The Sub-Committee asked questions around the more recent 2018 convictions. CJS provided the Sub-Committee with an anecdotal account of what had happened which had led to the consequential convictions.

The Representative from C Cabs vouched for the character of CJS informing the Sub-Committee that CJS had reformed themselves.

Lee Petrak, Trading Standards and Licensing Manager asked if CJS had been working in any public facing roles since any of the convictions which CJS confirmed they had previously worked with Children and had held sales positions in which they had directly interacted with members of the Public without incident.

The Sub-Committee were satisfied that CJS had reformed themselves since of the convictions. The Sub-Committee believed the circumstances of CJS’s personal life since the convictions to be exceptional and that these circumstances were strong enough for the Sub-Committee to depart from the relevant policy in order to grant the application for a Private Hire Driver’s Licence.

Resolved:

The application for the Private Hire Drivers Licence in relation to CJS, be granted subject to a severe warning letter outlining that in the event of any future misconduct the licence may be suspended or revoked.

To note the date of the next meeting as 25 April 2023.

It was noted the date of the next meeting would be 25 April 2023.