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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED that Councillor Andrea Tomlin be appointed Vice Chair of the Licensing Committee for the ensuing year.
RESOLVED that the Committee – (a) note the positive increase in new Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) applications following implementation of the temporary policy; (b) approve the adoption of the temporary WAV policy amendments as a permanent policy change, without further consultation, and (c) instruct officers to update and publish the amended Licensing Policy.
RESOLVED that the Committee – (a) note that the Statement of Principles under the Gambling Act 2005 was due for revision; (b) approve the approach to consultation as set out in the report and authorise officers to carry out the necessary consultation exercise; (c) recommend that where no responses were received to the consultation, or where responses were minor or inconsequential which were deemed not to require amendments to the draft principles, the Statement of Principles be referred to Council for final approval, and (d) where responses to the consultation were received that were not deemed to be minor or inconsequential, a report be brought back to the Licensing Committee to consider those responses.
RESOLVED that the forward work programme be received and approved.
RESOLVED that, by majority vote, Driver No. 573464 be allowed to retain his licence to drive private hire vehicles. [Councillor Andrea Tomlin voted against the above resolution.] The reasons for the Licensing Committee’s decision were as follows – Members had carefully considered the evidence before them in reaching their decision. The Committee’s decision was finely balanced and decided on a majority basis but considered that the Driver did remain a fit and proper person to continue to hold a Driver’s Licence. The Committee found that the Driver failed to have insurance as noted in the report, which was a serious offence. He further failed to disclose to the Council the details of this offence and the Council only discovered this when completing regular checks. The Committee heard that the insurance for the privately owned car was commissioned the day after the incident and that there was acceptance of responsibility by the Driver and his wife for the failure to have insurance in place. The Committee also heard the exceptional circumstances regarding this incident and that the Driver had been unaware of the matter until it was brought to his attention by the Licensing Officer. The Committee also considered the previous experience and exemplary service to the trade for over fifty years by the Driver and noted that there had been no concerns at all about his conduct. Although the Committee found that the Driver had committed the offence as described above, the Committee considered that there were exceptional circumstances and on balance considered that he could retain his licence. The Committee’s decision and reasons therefore were conveyed to the Driver. The meeting concluded at 10.50 am.
Councillor Justine Evans
No declaration of interest had been raised.
Nominations were sought for Chair of the Licensing Committee for 2026/27. Councillor Ellis Chard proposed, seconded by Councillor Joan Butterfield, that Councillor Gwyneth Ellis be appointed Chair. There were no further nominations. RESOLVED that Councillor Gwyneth Ellis be appointed Chair of the Licensing Committee for the ensuing year.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that Councillor Andrea Tomlin be appointed Vice Chair of the Licensing Committee for the ensuing year.
The Chair invited nominations for Vice Chair of the Licensing Committee for 2026/27. Councillor Brian Jones proposed, seconded by Councillor Joan Butterfield, that Councillor Andrea Tomlin be appointed Vice Chair. There were no further nominations. RESOLVED that Councillor Andrea Tomlin be appointed Vice Chair of the Licensing Committee for the ensuing year.
No urgent matters had been raised.
The minutes of the Licensing Committee held on 3 December 2025 were submitted. RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 3 December 2025 be received and confirmed as a correct record.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that the Committee – (a) note the positive increase in new Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) applications following implementation of the temporary policy; (b) approve the adoption of the temporary WAV policy amendments as a permanent policy change, without further consultation, and (c) instruct officers to update and publish the amended Licensing Policy.
The Lead Officer (Licensing) submitted a report (previously circulated) providing an update on the temporary amendment made in June 2025 to the age requirements for Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs) and sought members’ approval to make the temporary amendment a permanent part of the Licensing Policy. In June 2025 the Licensing Committee reviewed the existing requirements for WAVs with a view to addressing the lack of availability of such vehicles. A temporary removal of WAV age limits and replacing them with Euro 6 emission requirements and increased compliance testing once vehicles reached 12 years of age was approved with a report back on the impact of the change after 12 months. At the time the report was written 7 WAV applications had been received with 4 progressing and 3 failing to meet licensing requirements. Since then, a further 2 applications had been submitted with another expected. This represented a significant improvement on the previous year, when no new applications were received, and showed the temporary amendment had stimulated new interest and investment in WAV provision while the enhanced testing regime had maintained vehicle safety standards, with no adverse impacts or stakeholder concerns identified. Taking into account the positive outcome and consultation feedback it was recommended that the temporary changes be made permanent. A wider review of the Council’s existing policies and conditions was recommended once the Welsh Government published its national licensing standards. Members reviewed the effectiveness of the temporary change and discussed the outcomes with officers. The purpose of the change had been to encourage an increase in WAVs within the fleet and improve accessibility, and members had been pleased to note its positive impact, including greater availability of WAVs in the county and increased increase in WAV provision. This would benefit service users who required such vehicles as well as the wider community. During debate the Lead Officer (Licensing) responded to questions as follows – · it was difficult to predict the impact on WAV provision in terms of vehicle numbers if the temporary amendment was made permanent. However, the change had generated increased interest which was viewed as a positive step · 1 or 2 WAVs may have been lost over the past 12 months as licences expired but there were now more than 20 WAVs on the fleet representing a healthier position than at the same point last year prior to the changes being implemented · the Welsh Government had been developing national minimum standards for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing and therefore it was not considered appropriate to review wider changes to age requirements for licensed vehicles other than WAVs until those standards had been published, as doing so could conflict with the forthcoming national approach · officers would continue to approve applications in accordance with the current age policy for all other vehicles, with any applications falling outside of that policy framework being referred to the Licensing Committee for determination. RESOLVED that the Committee – (a) note the positive increase in new Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) applications following implementation of the temporary policy; (b) approve the adoption of the temporary WAV policy amendments as a permanent policy change, without further consultation, and (c) instruct officers to update and publish the amended Licensing Policy.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that the Committee – (a) note that the Statement of Principles under the Gambling Act 2005 was due for revision; (b) approve the approach to consultation as set out in the report and authorise officers to carry out the necessary consultation exercise; (c) recommend that where no responses were received to the consultation, or where responses were minor or inconsequential which were deemed not to require amendments to the draft principles, the Statement of Principles be referred to Council for final approval, and (d) where responses to the consultation were received that were not deemed to be minor or inconsequential, a report be brought back to the Licensing Committee to consider those responses.
The Lead Officer (Licensing) submitted a report (previously circulated) presenting the revised Statement of Principles under the Gambling Act 2005 for consideration and approval for statutory consultation. Some background was provided regarding the Council’s regulatory role in relation to gambling and the requirement to review its Statement of Principles every three years, setting out its general approach and promotion of the licensing objectives. The Council had responsibility for land based gambling, including premises such as betting shops, bingo halls and permits for clubs/alcohol licensed premises. Wider issues, such as online gambling, were regulated by the Gambling Commission. In line with the Gambling Commission’s advice, only minor amendments to the principles had been proposed pending the UK Government’s review of proposals to modernise the regulation of the land-based gambling sector. These minor amendments together with initial comments from the Local Health Board ahead of formal consultation had been highlighted in the draft Statement of Principles in Appendix 1 to the report and a proposed consultee list had been set out in Appendix 2. A fuller review would be undertaken following the national reforms when changes to the gambling legislation were known. Members considered the draft Statement of Principles together with the approach to consultation as set out in the report. In response to questions, the Lead Officer (Licensing) confirmed that while some licensing fees such as those for taxis and sex establishments could be set locally, the fees prescribed under the Gambling Act and subject of the report were statutory and therefore outside the Council’s control. In terms of timescales, it was anticipated that the six‑week consultation would begin within the next month, following finalisation of the documentation. If any notable representations were received, they would be reported to the Licensing Committee in September for consideration; otherwise, a report would be presented to Council recommending approval of the Statement of Principles. The intention was that the principles would be approved and implemented by November of this year. RESOLVED that the Committee – (a) note that the Statement of Principles under the Gambling Act 2005 was due for revision; (b) approve the approach to consultation as set out in the report and authorise officers to carry out the necessary consultation exercise; (c) recommend that where no responses were received to the consultation, or where responses were minor or inconsequential which were deemed not to require amendments to the draft principles, the Statement of Principles be referred to Council for final approval, and (d) where responses to the consultation were received that were not deemed to be minor or inconsequential, a report be brought back to the Licensing Committee to consider those responses.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that the forward work programme be received and approved.
The Lead Officer (Licensing) presented the Licensing Committee’s forward work programme for consideration (previously circulated). Councillor Brian Jones requested an update on the review of the current Hackney Carriage Table of Fares (Tariff) scheduled for September. The Lead Officer (Licensing) advised that a report on the outcome of last month’s Hackney Carriage Fares Workshop was being produced by the Council’s Engagement Officer for circulation to Licensing Committee members. The Council would then consult with the taxi trade on a proposed hackney carriage fare structure which would be submitted to the Licensing Committee in September for review. RESOLVED that the forward work programme be received and approved.
RESOLVED that under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the Press and Public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that it would involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 12 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A of the Act.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that, by majority vote, Driver No. 573464 be allowed to retain his licence to drive private hire vehicles. [Councillor Andrea Tomlin voted against the above resolution.] The reasons for the Licensing Committee’s decision were as follows – Members had carefully considered the evidence before them in reaching their decision. The Committee’s decision was finely balanced and decided on a majority basis but considered that the Driver did remain a fit and proper person to continue to hold a Driver’s Licence. The Committee found that the Driver failed to have insurance as noted in the report, which was a serious offence. He further failed to disclose to the Council the details of this offence and the Council only discovered this when completing regular checks. The Committee heard that the insurance for the privately owned car was commissioned the day after the incident and that there was acceptance of responsibility by the Driver and his wife for the failure to have insurance in place. The Committee also heard the exceptional circumstances regarding this incident and that the Driver had been unaware of the matter until it was brought to his attention by the Licensing Officer. The Committee also considered the previous experience and exemplary service to the trade for over fifty years by the Driver and noted that there had been no concerns at all about his conduct. Although the Committee found that the Driver had committed the offence as described above, the Committee considered that there were exceptional circumstances and on balance considered that he could retain his licence. The Committee’s decision and reasons therefore were conveyed to the Driver. The meeting concluded at 10.50 am.
A confidential report by the Head of Planning, Public Protection and Countryside Services (previously circulated) was submitted upon – (i) the suitability of Driver No. 573464 to hold a licence to drive private hire vehicles following a conviction obtained in November 2024 for using a vehicle uninsured against third party risks resulting in six penalty points and a fine which had not been declared in line with council policy; (ii) the matter having been deferred from the last Licensing Committee in December 2025 following a request by the Driver and legal advice received; (iii) background information and associated documentation having been provided including Driver history, details of the motoring conviction and circumstances surrounding the offence, and record of interview questions; (iv) the Council’s policy with regard to the relevance of convictions and suitability of applicants and licensees, and (v) the Driver having been invited to attend the meeting in support of the licence review and to answer members’ questions thereon. The Driver, accompanied by his wife, attended in support of his licence review. The Licensing Enforcement Officer (KB) submitted the report and facts of the case. The Driver and his wife provided a comprehensive explanation regarding the circumstances of the case including the events leading up to the use of the private vehicle without insurance when stopped by Police and action taken since then. Both maintained they had been unaware of the court proceedings and subsequent conviction and did not knowingly fail to disclose the matter. Members put questions to the Driver regarding his version of the events and evidence presented together with his driving history and previous conduct. The Enforcement Officer confirmed that payment/non-payment of the fixed penalty fine could not be validated. The Driver did not wish to make a final statement and had nothing further to add. The Committee adjourned to consider the case and it was – RESOLVED that, by majority vote, Driver No. 573464 be allowed to retain his licence to drive private hire vehicles. [Councillor Andrea Tomlin voted against the above resolution.] The reasons for the Licensing Committee’s decision were as follows – Members had carefully considered the evidence before them in reaching their decision. The Committee’s decision was finely balanced and decided on a majority basis but considered that the Driver did remain a fit and proper person to continue to hold a Driver’s Licence. The Committee found that the Driver failed to have insurance as noted in the report, which was a serious offence. He further failed to disclose to the Council the details of this offence and the Council only discovered this when completing regular checks. The Committee heard that the insurance for the privately owned car was commissioned the day after the incident and that there was acceptance of responsibility by the Driver and his wife for the failure to have insurance in place. The Committee also heard the exceptional circumstances regarding this incident and that the Driver had been unaware of the matter until it was brought to his attention by the Licensing Officer. The Committee also considered the previous experience and exemplary service to the trade for over fifty years by the Driver and noted that there had been no concerns at all about his conduct. Although the Committee found that the Driver had committed the offence as described above, the Committee considered that there were exceptional circumstances and on balance considered that he could retain his licence. The Committee’s decision and reasons therefore were conveyed to the Driver. The meeting concluded at 10.50 am.
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