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There is no summary of this meeting yet. One is written once the council publishes the minutes. The agenda and papers are below.
1.1 The Chair welcomed Members and Officers to the meeting of the General Licensing Committee.
2.1 No interests were declared.
3.1 The Committee approved the minutes.
4.1 The Committee approved the minutes.
4.1 The Committee approved the minutes of previous licensing hearings.
6.1 The Team Manager, Licensing and Trading standards presented the report. The report provided members with an overview of the work undertaken by the Licensing Team during the first two quarters of the financial year. 6.2 It was explained the key work undertaken during this period were: · 42 complaints were dealt with in relation to taxi licensing, including allegations of out-of-area vehicles using designated ranks, overcharging, dangerous driving, and inappropriate behaviour. · Significant work was undertaken on reviewing the Council’s Hackney Carriage and Private Hire licensing policy, including consultation on vehicle age limits and signage requirements. · Officers were involved in a procurement exercise for vehicle testing arrangements. · Delegated decisions were made on applications contrary to policy. 6.3 Following questions from the Board, Officers confirmed the following points: · Complaint levels were broadly in line with previous years, with normal fluctuations. 6.4 The Licensing Committee: 1. Noted and commented on the contents of this report, and 2. Noted the activity report for April 2025 – September 2025
7.1 The Team Manager, Licensing and Trading Standards presented the report. The report sought approval to consult on proposed fees for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire licensing for 2026–27. 7.2 The Team Manager, Licensing and Trading Standards explained that the proposed fees were calculated based on budgeted salary costs and direct costs, and showed a slight increase due to rising service costs. A comparison with neighbouring authorities was provided. Members were asked to consider whether to continue reductions for wheelchair-accessible and electric vehicles. 7.3 Following questions from the Committee, Officers confirmed the following points: • Discounts currently offered were £80 for new wheelchair-accessible vehicles or electric vehicles and £70 for renewals. • Any reductions were absorbed by the service. 7.4 Following a point made by a member of the Committee, the Committee discussed whether to maintain EV discounts given future taxation changes. The Committee decided to review this in future years as the taxation changes had not yet been made. 7.5 The Licensing Committee: • Approved the proposed taxi licensing fees for consultation.
8.1 The Senior Licensing Officer presented the report. 8.2 It was reported that four garages have now been approved to carry out compliance testing: French Auto Solutions (Mamhilad), Parc Limited (Pontnewynydd), the Council’s own garage (New Inn Depot), and Uskvale Auto Services (Pontymoile). The temporary deviation allowing MOT certificates has ended. 8.3 Following questions from the Board, Officers confirmed the following points: · Licence holders had been informed of approved garages. · Information would be updated on the Council website. 8.4 The General Licensing Committee noted that four garages based in Torfaen have been approved to test licensed vehicles on behalf of the Council and that the temporary deviation from the Council’s Policy that allowed the submission of a M.O.T. certificate in place of a certificate of compliance has ended.
9.1 The Senior Licensing Officer presented the report and the attached appendices. It was explained that the Council had responsibility for the licensing of Hackney carriages and private hire vehicles, with a focus on ensuring safety, suitability, and clear identification. 9.2 The Senior Licensing Officer explained that consultation had been undertaken on proposals to relax age limits for licensed vehicles. There was strong support from both the trade and the public for proposals to allow new and replacement vehicles under eight years old and to remove the upper age limit for re-licensing, subject to inspection. Officers also reported on consultation regarding signage requirements for private hire vehicles. Responses were mixed, but officers recommended retaining signage for public safety. 9.3 Following questions from the Committee, the Senior Licensing Officer confirmed the following points: • Welsh Government may introduce national standards and it was advisable to await guidance before changing signage policy. 9.4 The Committee agreed: i. That the hackney carriage and private hire vehicle age restrictions detailed in the Council’s Policy on the Administration and Regulation of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licences are replaced on 08 December 2025 with those set out in Appendix 1 but with all tracked changes accepted. ii. That there are no changes to the current requirements for private hire operator signage to be displayed on private hire vehicles. iii. That the term “wheelchair bound passengers” in paragraph 3 of section 1 of the Council’s Policy on the Administration and Regulation of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licences is replaced with “wheelchair users”.
11. 1 The date of the next meeting was confirmed to take place on 26th February 2026.
11.1 To agree the exclusion of the press and public from the meeting as presentations and meeting papers are not for publication because in accordance with paragraphs 12 and 14 of part 4 of Schedule 12a of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended by the Access to Information Variation Order Wales 2007), it contains information about a particular individual and information relating to the financial and business affairs of particular persons including the Council and in all the circumstances of the case the public interest in maintaining the exemptions outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.
Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.
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