The Committee considered a report by the Public Protection Manager (circulated previously) regarding the adoption of a revision to the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy.

The Public Protection Manager highlighted the following:

·       Consultation had been undertaken with the trade which had been appended to the report.

·       Consideration of the consultation responses and refinement of the proposed amendments had been presented to the Licensing and Community Safety Committee at its meeting on 18 January 2022.

·       The revised Policy brought the policy in line with the Department for Transport Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards and would require drivers to sign up to the Disclosure and Barring Service and undertake safeguarding trading.

·       Further changes to the policy would be considered by the Licensing and Community Safety Committee at its meeting in March 2022 and presented to the subsequent Strategy and Resources Committee.

RESOLVED that:

(a)  the proposed draft North Devon Council Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy found within Appendix A, as per the recommendation of Licensing and Community Safety Committee on the 18 January 2021 be approved;

(b)  a nominal fee of £10 for taxi and private hire driver safeguarding training be approved, if there was a need for the Council, to book such training on behalf of a driver and that this fee was proposed in order that the Council may recover its costs appropriately.