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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 the application for a Hackney Carriage Licence be granted. The reasons for the Licensing Committee’s decision were as follows – The Committee had carefully considered the report of the Licensing Officer, the Council’s Licensing Policy, and the representations made by the Applicants, and all relevant circumstances of the case. The Committee noted that the Applicant’s renewal application had not been received until after the expiry of the existing licence. As a consequence, there was no valid licence in force at the time the application was made and the previous vehicle licence had lapsed. Members accepted the advice that, once a vehicle licence had lapsed, there was no power to renew the licence. The application must therefore be treated as an application for a new vehicle licence rather than renewal of an existing licence. The Committee noted that the vehicle was first licensed in 2021 and the vehicle was nine years and two months old. Under the Council’s Licensing Policy, vehicles presented as new additions to the licensed fleet must be no more than five years old at the time of licensing. The Committee was satisfied that the delay in submitting the renewal application arose from exceptional circumstances, namely the administration and management of the business at the time. Members were reassured by the appointment of a Fleet Manager to manage the renewal process going forward and a new system for recording licence renewal dates. Having balanced these factors against the objectives of the Licensing Policy, the Committee considered it appropriate and proportionate to depart from the policy in this instance. Accordingly, the application was granted as an exception to the policy, the reasons for which are recorded as the exceptional circumstances as set out above. The Chair conveyed the Committee’s decision to the Applicants. She added that the Committee had considered the absence of a renewal reminder to have been a contributing factor and asked that officers review the process to help minimise the risk of recurrence. The Legal Advisor reported on the reasons for the decision.
RESOLVED that the Committee – (a) note the contents of the report; (b) note the engagement and consultation work undertaken since the implementation of the revised Hackney Carriage Table of Fares in October 2025; (c) support retaining the current Hackney Carriage Table of Fares for 2027, and (d) support officers undertaking a further annual review during 2027 for consideration of any changes required for 2028.
RESOLVED that the Committee, having considered the representations received during the consultation process and officers assessment of the representations, – (a) approve the amendments to section 3.3.1, 3.3.4, and 8.1 of the draft Statement of Principles to provide greater clarity regarding the Licensing Authority’s intentions, and (b) recommend that the revised Statement of Principles, attached at Appendix 3 to the report, be referred to full Council for adoption. At this point, Councillor Merfyn Parry left the meeting, resulting in the meeting no longer being quorate. The Chair advised that, as there were no remaining items requiring a decision, the Committee would proceed with the remaining agenda items in order to conclude the meeting.
RESOLVED that the forward work programme be noted. The meeting concluded at 10.45 am.
Councillors Justine Evans and Alan James
No declaration of interest had been raised.
No urgent matters had been raised.
The minutes of the Licensing Committee held on 9 June 2026 were submitted. RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 9 June 2026 be received and confirmed as a correct record. At this point the Chair indicated her intention to vary the order of the agenda to bring forward Item 8 for consideration.
RESOLVED that under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the Press and Public be excluded from the meeting for the following item 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 the application for a Hackney Carriage Licence be granted. The reasons for the Licensing Committee’s decision were as follows – The Committee had carefully considered the report of the Licensing Officer, the Council’s Licensing Policy, and the representations made by the Applicants, and all relevant circumstances of the case. The Committee noted that the Applicant’s renewal application had not been received until after the expiry of the existing licence. As a consequence, there was no valid licence in force at the time the application was made and the previous vehicle licence had lapsed. Members accepted the advice that, once a vehicle licence had lapsed, there was no power to renew the licence. The application must therefore be treated as an application for a new vehicle licence rather than renewal of an existing licence. The Committee noted that the vehicle was first licensed in 2021 and the vehicle was nine years and two months old. Under the Council’s Licensing Policy, vehicles presented as new additions to the licensed fleet must be no more than five years old at the time of licensing. The Committee was satisfied that the delay in submitting the renewal application arose from exceptional circumstances, namely the administration and management of the business at the time. Members were reassured by the appointment of a Fleet Manager to manage the renewal process going forward and a new system for recording licence renewal dates. Having balanced these factors against the objectives of the Licensing Policy, the Committee considered it appropriate and proportionate to depart from the policy in this instance. Accordingly, the application was granted as an exception to the policy, the reasons for which are recorded as the exceptional circumstances as set out above. The Chair conveyed the Committee’s decision to the Applicants. She added that the Committee had considered the absence of a renewal reminder to have been a contributing factor and asked that officers review the process to help minimise the risk of recurrence. The Legal Advisor reported on the reasons for the decision.
[This item was brought forward on the agenda with the consent of the Chair] A confidential report by the Head of Planning, Public Protection and Countryside Services (previously circulated) was submitted upon – (i) an application having been received for a Hackney Carriage Vehicle Licence; (ii) the vehicle having been previously licensed as a Hackney Carriage but the licence having not been renewed before its expiry date and therefore must be treated as a new vehicle licence application; (iii) officers being unable to grant the application as the vehicle did not comply with the Council’s existing policy which required vehicles licensed under a new application to be no more than five years old from first registration; (iv) background information and associated documentation having been provided, including the Council's Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing Policy, the Applicant's supporting statement, vehicle details, and maintenance and compliance/MOT history, and (v) the Applicant having been invited to attend the meeting in support of the application and to answer members’ questions thereon. The Applicants were in attendance in support of the application. The Enforcement Officer – Licensing presented the report, and the Licensing Committee was asked to consider whether it would be appropriate to depart from the Council’s policy on vehicle age requirements in order to grant the application. The Applicants presented their case, advising that the vehicle had been licensed since 2021 and outlining the circumstances that led to the licence expiring. This included an administrative error during a period of transition within the business, together with the absence of the usual licence renewal reminder from the local authority. Allowing the licence to lapse had been an oversight and measures had since been implemented to modernise business systems and prevent a recurrence. During questioning, the Applicants accepted that they should not rely on the local authority to notify licence holders of expiry dates and confirmed that the oversight had been an isolated incident. Assurances were provided that internal systems were now in place to monitor renewal dates and issue reminders, removing any reliance on notifications from the local authority. The vehicle had not been used as a hackney carriage following the expiry of the licence and had remained off the road pending repairs and re-testing. Officers confirmed that renewal reminders were routinely issued but had not been issued in this instance. Fleet Services had also referred to occasions where licence plates displayed an expired date despite the licence remaining valid and advised that their role was limited to assessing the condition of the licence plate. It was further confirmed by officers that, had the renewal application been submitted prior to the expiry date, it would have been processed in the usual manner. In terms of a final statement the Applicants advised they had nothing further to add. The Committee adjourned to consider the application and it was – RESOLVED that the application for a Hackney Carriage Licence be granted. The reasons for the Licensing Committee’s decision were as follows – The Committee had carefully considered the report of the Licensing Officer, the Council’s Licensing Policy, and the representations made by the Applicants, and all relevant circumstances of the case. The Committee noted that the Applicant’s renewal application had not been received until after the expiry of the existing licence. As a consequence, there was no valid licence in force at the time the application was made and the previous vehicle licence had lapsed. Members accepted the advice that, once a vehicle licence had lapsed, there was no power to renew the licence. The application must therefore be treated as an application for a new vehicle licence rather than renewal of an existing licence. The Committee noted that the vehicle was first licensed in 2021 and the vehicle was nine years and two months old. Under the Council’s Licensing Policy, vehicles presented as new additions to the licensed fleet must be no more than five years old at the time of licensing. The Committee was satisfied that the delay in submitting the renewal application arose from exceptional circumstances, namely the administration and management of the business at the time. Members were reassured by the appointment of a Fleet Manager to manage the renewal process going forward and a new system for recording licence renewal dates. Having balanced these factors against the objectives of the Licensing Policy, the Committee considered it appropriate and proportionate to depart from the policy in this instance. Accordingly, the application was granted as an exception to the policy, the reasons for which are recorded as the exceptional circumstances as set out above. The Chair conveyed the Committee’s decision to the Applicants. She added that the Committee had considered the absence of a renewal reminder to have been a contributing factor and asked that officers review the process to help minimise the risk of recurrence. The Legal Advisor reported on the reasons for the decision.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that the Committee – (a) note the contents of the report; (b) note the engagement and consultation work undertaken since the implementation of the revised Hackney Carriage Table of Fares in October 2025; (c) support retaining the current Hackney Carriage Table of Fares for 2027, and (d) support officers undertaking a further annual review during 2027 for consideration of any changes required for 2028.
The Lead Officer (Licensing) submitted a report (previously circulated) updating members on work undertaken since implementation of the revised fares in October 2025 and sought their views on the approach to Hackney Carriage fares for 2027. Licensing Committee had approved changes to hackney carriage fares and charges in September 2025 and a Working Group had been established with members and the trade to consider wider taxi fare issues. Details of the engagement and consultation undertaken with the licensed trade and the public together with the outcomes had been provided and presented at the meeting. Whilst response rates were low, most respondents supported retaining the current fare structure. Therefore, officers recommended no fare increase for 2027 and that the current fares be retained pending a further review in 2027 to consider changes for 2028. The Lead Officer (Licensing) also highlighted the considerable resource that had been committed to fare reviews in recent times and low participation levels from both the trade and the public. Whilst opportunities to improve engagement would continue to be explored, postal correspondence would incur extra costs and officer time without necessarily increasing participation. Alternative engagement methods could be explored, including SMS, information issued with licence renewal correspondence and trade engagement events. The main challenge remained encouraging meaningful participation from the trade and the public. The use of technology, including Artificial Intelligence, to assist with data analysis and fare modelling could be considered although any future fare review would still require local evidence, stakeholder engagement, officer assessment and member approval. Members discussed the challenges of securing active and meaningful engagement from the trade and measures that could be taken to improve response rates. It was noted that the low level of responses may indicate general satisfaction with the current fare structure. However, members also noted that the number of respondents in favour of retaining the current fare structure was relatively small. It was pointed out that there had been a substantial fare increase in 2026 although it was also acknowledged that the agreed tariff set the maximum fare that could be charged and that drivers could charge a lower fare if they wished. Members emphasised that they did not wish to make it more difficult for the trade to earn a living. It was considered that future reports should include details of the number of respondents and participants involved in engagement and consultation exercises to provide greater context. It was also noted that response rates to Council consultations were generally low. Officers responded to members’ questions and comments as follows – · agreed that future reports would include additional information on the number of participants involved in the various stages of the engagement and consultation processes to provide greater context · in terms of the previous commitment to issue printed correspondence to licence holders, the postal service had not been used for the pre-consultation exercise. The intention had been to utilise postal correspondence during the formal consultation stage if members were minded to support a fare increase · communication with the licensed trade was currently undertaken primarily via email and through the Council’s website, using the contact details provided by licence holders as part of the licensing application process · all channels of communication would be explored provided they could be integrated with existing systems. Whilst WhatsApp remained an option, maintaining separate contact databases for WhatsApp communications could create additional administrative burdens due to the need for continual updates as licence holders were added or removed. The focus would therefore be on utilising existing database information, including telephone numbers, to support alternative communication methods such as SMS messaging · no specific weighting was given to one consultation response over another and recommendations were based on the information available together with comparative fare data. The authority currently had the highest taxi fares in Wales which were also above the England and Wales average and significantly higher than those charged by many other North Wales local authorities. These comparative factors were also taken into account when considering any proposals to increase fares. At the close of debate, it was subsequently – RESOLVED that the Committee – (a) note the contents of the report; (b) note the engagement and consultation work undertaken since the implementation of the revised Hackney Carriage Table of Fares in October 2025; (c) support retaining the current Hackney Carriage Table of Fares for 2027, and (d) support officers undertaking a further annual review during 2027 for consideration of any changes required for 2028.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that the Committee, having considered the representations received during the consultation process and officers assessment of the representations, – (a) approve the amendments to section 3.3.1, 3.3.4, and 8.1 of the draft Statement of Principles to provide greater clarity regarding the Licensing Authority’s intentions, and (b) recommend that the revised Statement of Principles, attached at Appendix 3 to the report, be referred to full Council for adoption. At this point, Councillor Merfyn Parry left the meeting, resulting in the meeting no longer being quorate. The Chair advised that, as there were no remaining items requiring a decision, the Committee would proceed with the remaining agenda items in order to conclude the meeting.
The Lead Officer (Licensing) submitted a report (previously circulated) detailing the representations received during consultation on the revised Statement of Principles under the Gambling Act 2005 and sought members’ approval of the proposed amendments to the draft Statement prior to its submission to Council for adoption. Licensing Committee approved a consultation on the draft revised Statement of Principles in June 2026 with any responses to be reported back for consideration. Details of the two consultation responses received from organisations representing licensed gambling operators had been provided together with officers’ assessment of the representations and recommended amendments. The representations primarily related to the wording in section 3.3.4 and concerns that some provisions could be interpreted as creating additional expectations for operators. Following engagement with consultees, officers remained satisfied that the draft Statement did not create blanket conditions or requirements. However, officers acknowledged that several provisions could be interpreted differently and proposed a number of amendments to improve clarity, better reflect the Council’s intentions and reduce the potential for inconsistent interpretation. The amendments did not represent a substantive change to the policy approach. Members considered the representations received during the consultation process together with the officer assessment of those representations and proposed amendments to the draft Statement of Principles under the Gambling Act 2005. Members commented that the amendments appeared sensible and proportionate. They welcomed the two comprehensive consultation responses and commended the process undertaken by officers to assess the representations received and provide a response that clearly demonstrated they had been properly considered and taken into account, resulting in the proposed revisions to the Statement. A typographical error in paragraph 1.1.2 of the draft Statement was noted which would be amended to read “Gambling Act 2005” rather than “Gambling Act 2003”. The Chair queried the need for reference to the location and accessibility of ATMs in the Statement, given that this was already addressed through mandatory conditions under the Gambling Act 2005. The Lead Officer (Licensing) advised that this was not a blanket condition but rather a matter that operators should take into consideration when locating ATMs on their premises, and was included as a suggested factor for members to consider. Removal of the reference to ATMs would not be detrimental to the policy. In the absence of any strong views from the Committee, it was agreed that the reference should remain within the Statement. RESOLVED that the Committee, having considered the representations received during the consultation process and officers assessment of the representations, – (a) approve the amendments to section 3.3.1, 3.3.4, and 8.1 of the draft Statement of Principles to provide greater clarity regarding the Licensing Authority’s intentions, and (b) recommend that the revised Statement of Principles, attached at Appendix 3 to the report, be referred to full Council for adoption. At this point, Councillor Merfyn Parry left the meeting, resulting in the meeting no longer being quorate. The Chair advised that, as there were no remaining items requiring a decision, the Committee would proceed with the remaining agenda items in order to conclude the meeting.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that the forward work programme be noted. The meeting concluded at 10.45 am.
The Lead Officer (Licensing) presented the Licensing Committee’s forward work programme for consideration (previously circulated). RESOLVED that the forward work programme be noted. The meeting concluded at 10.45 am.
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