Agenda and draft minutes

As a Councillor, you are reminded of the requirements under the Council’s Code of Conduct to register interests and to disclose interests in a meeting. You should refer to the requirements set out in the Code of Conduct which are summarised in the notes at the end of this agenda frontsheet.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Licensing Committee authorised the Chair to sign, as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting held Wednesday 23 February 2022.

The Licencing Committee received the third review of the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire policy following the Licensing Committee in September and November 2021 where it was agreed a workshop was to be arranged to enable members to discuss the proposed amendments to mandating CCTV in all licenced vehicles. It was noted, age limits and emissions for standard licenced vehicles were also considered and provisional measures were previously agreed until December 2023.

The provisions of mandating CCTV in all licenced vehicles were considered at the Licencing Committees held in September and November 2021. Members were provided with evidence that supported CCTV in vehicles excluding executive ones, , but the Principal Licence Officer that there was no evidence to suggest a pressing need nor proportion to mandate CCTV in exempt vehicles, according to the guidelines set out from the Department of Transport.

The Licencing Committee were informed the implementation would gradually be brought into effect which would require any new licenced vehicle to have CCTV installed prior to licencing from 1 April 2023. All drivers would be notified of the recommendations and any existing licenced vehicles would need to have CCTV installed on renewal from the same date. Drivers with vehicles that already had CCTV installed would be advised accordingly with the requirement to meet the Council’s required specifications.

The Licencing Committee heard that taxi drivers were also subject to offences and the CCTV would be there to protect them as well as passengers.

It was noted by the Committee that at the workshops in September and November 2021 that by removing the age limit of vehicles would help encourage a greener fleet for drivers that were using Euro 5 engines, making it more likely and affordable to replace Euro 6 engines in a timely manner which would subsequently help support officers to grant applications and renewals leading to less hearings which often overturned the decision.

It was agreed that from 1 December 2023, new licences would only be granted or renewed if vehicles were Euro 6 compliant and/or those that were in the zero or ultra-low emissions category. It was further agreed that by no later than 1 December 2028, all licenced private hire and Hackney carriage vehicles would need to be zero or ultra-low to coincide with restrictions in Cambridge City access.

The Committee suggested adding wording to the policy that underlined the importance in maintaining a coordination in policy with the City Council and possible joint workshops between South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridgeshire City Council Officers and Members. It was noted that, embedded in the recommendations, the Committee would be prepared to review before December 2028, if required.

It was explained to the Committee that Greater Cambridge Partnership were in the consultation stage for the sustainable travel zone with the aim to go live by 2028 with a daily congestion charge of £5 if a vehicle was not an ultra-low emission vehicle or wheelchair accessible

The  Committee put forward the suggestion to contact airports to install electrical  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.