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Lewes and Eastbourne
Councils

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Room 209/210 on the Second Floor, The Marine Workshops, Railway Quay, Newhaven, East Sussex, BN9 0ER.

Contact: Committee Services on 01273 471600. 

Items
No. Item

1.

Election of Deputy-Chair

To elect a Deputy-Chair of the Licensing Committee for the remainder of the 2023/2024 municipal year.

Minutes:

Councillor Roy Clay was elected as the Deputy-Chair of the Licensing Committee for the remainder of the 2023/24 municipal year.

2.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 105 KB

To confirm and sign the minutes of the previous meeting held on 12 January 2023 (attached herewith).

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on the 12 January 2023 were submitted and approved and the Chair authorised to sign them as a correct record.

3.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

There were none.

4.

Declarations of interest

Disclosure by councillors of personal interests in matters on the agenda, the nature of any interest and whether the councillor regards the interest as prejudicial under the terms of the Code of Conduct.

Minutes:

There were none.

5.

Urgent items

Items not on the agenda which the Chair of the meeting is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency by reason of special circumstances as defined in Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

Minutes:

There were none.

6.

Written questions from councillors

To deal with written questions from councillors pursuant to Council Procedure Rule 12.3 (page D8 of the Constitution).

Minutes:

There were none.

7.

Amendments to the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Guidance pdf icon PDF 105 KB

Report of Director of Service Delivery

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the report which detailed the proposed changes to the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Guidance, as set out in Section 2 of the report and Appendix 1, and a proposed six-week public consultation.

 

The Lead for Regulatory Services (LRS) summarised the report, highlighting the proposed changes to the Guidance as set out Section 2 of the report and in Appendix 1, and recent feedback which had been received about the Trade in relation to the inclusion of audio in licensed vehicles with the CCTV systems.

 

Members discussed with Officers and Sussex Police Inspector Burrows the financial, legal and GDPR implications regarding the possible inclusion of audio in licensed vehicles with the CCTV systems in Lewes District, as well as the proposed changes to the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Guidance.

 

Further discussions included queries surrounding data control, safeguarding and GDPR training, DBS checks, WAV vehicles and the number of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Drivers currently operating within the District.

 

The Committee queried when the proposed public consultation would begin and how long it would last. Officers confirmed that the proposed public consultation would begin in July 2023 and it was proposed that the consultation period should be six weeks.

 

Resolved:

 

1)    That the proposed amendments to the Lewes District Council Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Guidance as set out in Section 2 of the report and Appendix 1, be approved for consultation, subject to:

·         The addition of questions relating to Safeguarding training to be undertaken every 3 years, GDPR training and the inclusion of audio recording in licensed vehicles, to be included in the public consultation;

2)   That the Senior Specialist Advisor be authorised to begin a six-week consultation with the taxi trade and the public on the proposed Guidance as set out in Appendix 1; and

3)    That the results of the public consultation be reported to a subsequent meeting of the Licensing Committee, unless only minor changes are proposed as a result of the consultation responses, in which case the Lead for Regulatory Services be authorised, in consultation with the Chair of the Licensing Committee, to make any minor changes to the Guidance.

 

8.

Date of next meeting

To note that the next meeting of the Licensing Committee is scheduled to be held on Thursday, 14 December 2023, in Room 209/210 on the Second Floor, The Marine Workshops, Railway Quay, Newhaven, East Sussex, BN9 0ER, commencing at 10:30am.

Minutes:

That it be noted that the next meeting of the Licensing Committee was scheduled to be held on Thursday, 14 December 2023, in Room 209/210 on the Second Floor, The Marine Workshops, Railway Quay, Newhaven, East Sussex, BN9 0ER, commencing at 10:30am.

 

It was also discussed and noted that an additional meeting would be held to consider the results of the public consultation prior to the next scheduled meeting on Thursday, 14 December 2023, at a date later to be agreed.