To consider the Minutes of the meeting held on 11 November 2021.

RESOLVED -

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 11 November 2021 be confirmed and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

Public seating will be limited at this meeting due to the current Covid-19 pandemic. You can submit questions in advance of the meeting to the following email: democratic.services@eastleigh.gov.uk. The deadline for submissions is midday on Friday 19 November 2021. Please let us know if you wish to attend the meeting in person so that we can manage numbers. We encourage those attending to wear a mask and take a test to ensure that they are not at risk of infecting anyone with Covid-19.

There was no public participation on this occasion.

There were no declarations of interest in relation to items of business on the agenda.

The Chair thanked the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire trade for all the work they do.

The Senior Licensing Officer presented the report.

It was recommended that the Committee:

(1)  consider the contents of this report, appendices and any comments or representations made on the policy, Appendix 1;

(2)  adopt the Statement of Taxi Licensing Policy and appendices to commence from 1 January 2022, Appendix 1;

(3)  agree to delay the requirement for applicants for either hackney carriage driver or private hire driver licences to have passed an approved English and Maths test until an approved provider has been procured;

(4)  agree to delegate to the Legal Services Manager the authority to approve the standard of the tests in recommendation (3) and the date the policy will be applied;

(5)  adopt option 1, private hire identification sticker, along with the requirement for the private hire operator name and contact details to also be displayed on both near side and off side of all private hire vehicles, with delegation to the Legal Services Manager to agree the position of the identification stickers to be fixed to the vehicle. See page 12 of the private hire policy and conditions contained in Appendix 1.

Councillor Parker-Jones requested clarity that on page 19, appendix one, section 3.3.2 the year should read 2022 and not 2021, and that at the end of the same paragraph it states ‘see 3.3.2’ as the paragraph underneath was also numbered 3.3.2.

The Senior Licensing Officer confirmed that the year should read 2022 instead of 2021, and that where the numbering is incorrect in the report it would be amended to show the correct numbering.

Councillor Airey thanked officers for their work on the report, and the Licensed Transport Forum trade representatives for their positive contribution to the production of the document. He proposed a further amendment to the policy in respect of clarification regarding smart black jeans be included in the dress code. This amendment was seconded by Councillor Parker-Jones.

The Senior Chartered Legal Executive suggested the amendment read as follows:

·  To amend the policy to read that smart black jeans be allowed that are not frayed, torn or with logos for the next 9 months as a concession which will then be reviewed after 9 months.

RESOLVED –

That the Committee AGREED the report subject to the amended Dress Code Policy.

(NOTES: A written statement was read out from a member of the trade regarding the wearing of jeans as part of the dress code and comment on the proposed private hire door labelling. Two members of the trade spoke on Agenda Item 5 with comments on the proposed private hire door labelling.)