Agenda and draft 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 18 JuLY 2023 as a true and correct

record.

The Sub-Committee considered the minutes of the last meeting held on 18 July

2023.

Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 18 July 2023 be approved and

signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

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 new Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licence applicants and an existing Hackney Carriage Licence Driver who have been convicted of offences or who have otherwise given reasons for concern.

The Sub-Committee considered the cases for an existing Hackney Carriage licence holder, new applicants for Hackney Carriage Drivers Licences, a Private Hire Drivers Licence and an application for a Horse Drawn Hackney Carriage Driver’s Licence who had been convicted of offences or who had otherwise given the Licensing Authority cause for concern.

A.R.Y

Mr Lee Petrak, Trading Standards and Licensing Manager, presented the case on behalf of the Licensing Authority. A.R.Y had made themselves known to the police following an incident on 29 May 20023 with an out of town driver who had been committing an offence by waiting in a Hackney carriage rank. Mr Petrak played CCTV of A.R.Y throwing a phone belonging to the out of town driver and damaging the windscreen of the out of town driver car with a car jack. A.R.Y, who was present before the Sub-Committee had worked co-operatively with the Police following the incident which had been dealt with using restorative justice. A.R.Y had been a licenced driver with Blackpool Council since 1993 with and this was the first time he had been involved in an incident that brought them before the Sub-Committee. The Sub-Committee questioned about what had led to the incident, A.R.Y informed them it was the anniversary of a bereavement so they begun working much later in the day than normal, A.R.Y admitted that it had been a difficult day and expressed they were aware that how they dealt with the incident was not the correct method of addressing issues around out of town drivers illegally plying for hire which had been a shared concern for the Licensing Authority and members of the Blackpool Taxi Community. Mr Petrak informed the Sub-Committee considerable work had gone into investigating out of town drivers plying for illegal trade and that the incident involving A.R.Y had allowed them to work with members of the Blackpool Taxi Community more closely.

The Sub-Committee deliberated the evidence brought before them of the incident and A.R.Y’s openness about the incident and their 30 year career as a licensed driver and decided to issue a severe warning against A.R.Y.

Resolved:
That A.R.Y be issued with a strict warning letter that in the event of any future  misconduct the licence may be suspended or revoked.

H.M

Mr Lee Petrak, Trading Standards and Licensing Manager presented the case for the Local Authority on 9 February 2023 H.M had submitted an application for a Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver’s Licence. H.M. had previously been licensed between December 2010 and September 2019. They had previously appeared before the Sub-Committee in October 2016 when a severe warning was issued for alleged threatening and abusive behaviour towards a customer and again in September 2019 when the Sub-Committee decided they were no longer a fit and proper person to be licensed and revoked H.M’s licence following an altercation with a passenger for which H.M. received a Police caution for assault.

Mr Petrak drew the Sub-Committees attention to Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver’s Policy  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To note the use of delegated powers by the Trading Standards and Licensing Manager in the period since the last Sub-Committee meeting on 18 July 2023.

Mr. Lee Petrak, Trading Standards and Licensing Manager informed the Sub-Committee of the use of delegated powers by the Trading Standards and Licensing Manager in the period since the last Sub-Committee meeting on 18 July 2023.

D.C.H
The Licensing Authority received evidence that on 14 June 2023, a Private Hire and Hackney Carriage driver had been involved in an incident that placed members of the public at serious risk of harm, as a result of this the Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Driver’s Licence had been revoked

H.A

The Licensing Authority received evidence that between the 11 June 2023 and 27 July 2023, a Private Hire Driver had been involved in series of incidents that placed members of the public at serious risk of harm. The Private Hire Driver’s Licence had been revoked.

Resolved:
To note the use of delegated powers since the last meeting on 18 July 2023

To note the date of the next meeting as 3 October 2023.

To note the date of the next meeting as 3 October 2023.