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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
Resolved: The revised Taxi Licensing Policy is approved for consultation with interested parties approved.
Resolved: That pursuant to Section 100BA (2) and (7) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded for the following item of business which involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 12 of part 4 of schedule 12A of the above Act.
The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.
There were none.
Resolved: That the minutes of the previous meeting held on the 3rd August 2026 be approved as an accurate record.
There were no urgent items received.
Decision as recorded
Resolved: The revised Taxi Licensing Policy is approved for consultation with interested parties approved.
The Strategic Manager for Legal Regulatory Services, Neil Chapple introduced the report. Members welcomed the proposed changes and supported greater consistency across the region and nationally. Members asked about the monitoring of drivers who chose not to use the DBS update service. Officers explained that the licensing team would attempt a check after 6 months and, if that could not be completed, the driver would be contacted and required to undertake a manual DBS check. Members also sought clarification on the Council’s DBS arrangements through Powys highlighting delays in this process. Officers confirmed that taxi DBS applications were processed through the licensing team under a separate arrangement. Officer explained that the move to 6-monthly checks and the update service should reduce issues around DBS expiry, while medical validity remained unchanged at 4 months in line with Welsh Government guidance. Members raised concerns that the DBS update service was not always seamless in practice. Officers acknowledged that there may be teething problems and confirmed that any difficulties would be considered on a case-by-case basis. Members asked whether applicants and drivers could be required to acknowledge receipt of guidance or confirm that they had read the policy, to reduce later claims that requirements were unknown. Officers advised that the policy was publicly available and that detailed letters were already sent for specific processes such as vehicle testing, but agreed to consider whether a declaration or similar acknowledgement could be built into application processes. Members asked whether financial assistance would be available for dashcams and whether insurance premiums might be reduced. Officers confirmed that dashcams and CCTV would remain voluntary, that no financial assistance would be provided, and that drivers choosing to install equipment would do so at their own expense. Officers were unable to confirm any impact on insurance premiums. Members sought clarification on the new approach for drivers with 7 or more penalty points. The Officer explained that driver awareness or advanced taxi driving courses could now be considered as an alternative option, giving members another course of action alongside taking no further action, suspension or revocation. Members raised concerns about applicants with limited English and the need for drivers to communicate effectively with passengers. Officers confirmed that the revised knowledge test would include a strengthened basic English element and that applicants would need sufficient understanding of English to progress. Officers also explained that the knowledge test would cover more than local knowledge, including safeguarding, assisting disabled and visually impaired passengers, relevant legislation, licence conditions and Council policy, alongside topographical knowledge of the area. Members asked how re-tests operated and whether the same paper was used again. Officers confirmed that different test papers were used and that a re-test was not automatic on the same day. Members also questioned whether applicants were tested on legal duties relating to accident reporting and whether the draft policy timescales aligned with wider road traffic requirements. Officers advised that legal responsibilities formed part of the wider knowledge material and undertook to review the policy wording to ensure there was no conflict between reporting timescales. Members also discussed whether applicants should formally acknowledge relevant road traffic requirements. Officers agreed to consider this further, while noting that existing drivers should already be aware of their obligations through holding a driving licence. Resolved: The revised Taxi Licensing Policy is approved for consultation with interested parties approved.
Decision as recorded
Resolved: That pursuant to Section 100BA (2) and (7) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded for the following item of business which involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 12 of part 4 of schedule 12A of the above Act.
Resolved: That pursuant to Section 100BA (2) and (7) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded for the following item of business which involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 12 of part 4 of schedule 12A of the above Act.
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