Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED – that Cllr John Thompson be elected as Chair of the Licensing Committee.

None.

To confirm the minutes of the previous meeting.

RESOLVED – that the minutes of the meeting of the Licensing Committee held on 8 September 2023 be noted and signed by the Chair.

To approve the Licensing Committee Terms of Reference for the 2023/2024 municipal year.

RESOLVED – that the Terms of Reference, as set out in Appendix A of the report, be approved.

To receive a report to review the current Taxi CCTV policy.

The Public Protection Group Manager provided the Committee with an update on the recent consultation on whether to make CCTV in Telford and Wrekin licensed vehicles mandatory and the feedback received.

Members discussed the strain that the cost of the CCTV installation presented to individual taxi drivers and questioned whether this cost could be subsidised by the operators, or whether it would be possible for the trial units to be resold.

The Committee recognised the benefits of mandatory CCTV but whilst this has been adopted by only 17 out of 266 licensing authorities there were inequalities across Councils and therefore they recommended lobbying government and the Local Government Association asking that CCTV be made a mandatory requirement in law.

RESOLVED - that:

a)      The progress made to date regarding the installation of CCTV in Telford & Wrekin licenced vehicles on a voluntary basis be noted;

b)     The feedback from the CCTV consultation in June 2023 be noted;

c)      The Committee note the contents of the report and agree to maintain the current voluntary policy outlined in Appendix A, relating to the installation of CCTV in Telford & Wrekin licenced vehicles and officers continue to explore external funding opportunities to progress the installation of CCTV in taxis on a voluntary basis;

d)     Officers continue to work with other licensing officers regionally and other relevant bodies to ask that CCTV be made a mandatory requirement in law by the government.