Eastleigh Borough Council Licensing Committee Meeting

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

Public Participation

Councillor Atkinson asked the outcome of Public Participation from the previous meeting. The Senior Licensing Officer had met with Mr Murray and explained that they could make sure Uber Drivers were compliant. If any faults were found, they had been encouraged to report it back.

Safeguarding

The Licensing Manager confirmed that they had been looking at Blue Lamp Trust Course. The Senior Licensing Officer and the Senior Chartered Legal Executive had been on the course and felt it would be beneficial.

Member Training

Councillor Atkinson and Councillor Tyson-Payne asked if it was possible to complete the training less frequently and over a few sessions. The Licensing Manager confirmed that the minimum recommendation for licensing training was 6 hours per year, which was the amount of training that was currently in place. The Chair agreed to discuss this at the next meeting to see if there were any possible alternatives.

RESOLVED -

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 6 March 2019 be confirmed

and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

It was confirmed that Member Training had been arranged for 19 June 2020 at the Civic Centre in Southampton.

The Licensing Manager reported that there were no legislative changes that had an impact on Eastleigh Borough Council.

There were two Panel Hearings since the last meeting. The Chair updated the Committee on the Netley Tap Hearing and Councillor Parker-Jones summarised the Leigh Road Hearing.

Councillor Cross arrived at the meeting at 18:55.

The Licensing Manager and the Head of Environment provided a summary of licensing activity 2019/20 to the Committee.

The partnership arrangements with Southampton City Council for the administration of a Licensing Act 2003 and Gambling Act 2005 Licences will

expire on 31 March 2020 unless renewed. The intention was to link the agreements so that they could renew at the same time.

Processing Applications for Licences

There was a steady growth in Hackney applications and Private Hire applications. On 19 February 2020 a total of 3,565 licences/notices or permits

covering 43 different categories/types of permit had been issued this year to

date.

Enforcement Activities

The Partnership had conducted compliance and enforcement work and had clamped down where standards were not being met.

Some of the enforcement work that was carried out in 2019 is as follows:

·  The use of under-age mystery shoppers in licensed premises. 50% of the establishments visited failed;

·  Met with wheelchair users to address complaints about some taxi drivers attitudes to disabled people and established ways of improving standards and access to licensed taxis including improved information to assist booking vehicles;

·  Conducted mystery shopping of taxi services which showed improvements in standards as the year progressed;

·  Stopped taxis operating in the area with road checks with 9 testing operations carried out detecting poor standards in performance and compliance which resulted in taxis being taken off the road; and

·  Test purchasing operations resulted in 2 successful high-profile prosecutions of Private Hire and Hackney Carriage operators with one featured on the BBC’s ‘Defenders UK’ TV programme.

Boat and Boatman Licensing

Officers from Eastleigh Borough Council, Southampton City Council and Hampshire County Council have reviewed the Boatmen licensing process. It will include an annual renewal process and inspection by the Harbourmaster every two years. The new process should significantly reduce the risk to the Council.

The Licensing Manager proposed that the Agreement for the Licensed Premises for Gambling and Alcohol be extended until 30 November 2021, the date in which the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Service was due for renewal. It would then be reviewed in an interim period.

The Licensing Manager explained that in terms of MOT’s for taxis, they are looking at getting 2 approved garages in addition to the Depot. The Chair agreed that it should increase the standard of workmanship on the vehicles.

Councillor Margaret Atkinson agreed with merging the agreements together so that they were renewed at the same time but was concerned about what would happen if there was a shortfall or an overspend on licence fees. The Licensing Manager confirmed that the fees would be reviewed regularly and would work on a 3-year cycle. The Licensing Act is set by the government and the Gambling Act has limits placed. If there was a continual shortfall then the general fund would make it up.

With regards to the section concerning Climate Change and Environmental Implications, Councillor Atkinson raised that it should give financials and cost implications along with clarification on what the Council is doing to make Co2 equality. The Chair agreed that it needed to be developed further.

Resolved -

(1) Noted progress in the management of the Partnership Licensing function by Southampton City Council (SCC) on behalf of Eastleigh Borough Council (EBC);

(2) Noted the incorporation of the Boat and Boatman Licensing function within the alcohol & gambling agreement funded by efficiency savings in the operation of the licensing services to enable extra capacity for existing staff within the Licensing Team to handle this function;

(3) Renew the agreement for the provision of administration, enforcement and legal services relating to the Licensing Act 2003 and Gambling Act 2005 with Southampton City Council until 30 November 2021 so that the cost effectiveness of the service and value-for-money can be evaluated and assessed alongside the Agreement for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire which expires on that date;

(4) That the Taxi Licensing Service was further reviewed prior to the renewal of the Agreement for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire before the 1 December 2020; and

(5) Rationalise the current licensing activities covered by the two agreements (Deeds of Delegation) into a single agreement if possible with the existing or future provider starting from 1 December 2021.