To receive apologies for absence from Members.  

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr K Edwards who was on other Council business.

To receive declarations of personal and prejudicial interest (if any) from Members/Officers in accordance with the provisions of the Members Code of Conduct adopted by Council from 1 September 2008.

None.

To receive for approval the Minutes of the 21/09/2017 & 16/11/2017

RESOLVED:             That the Minutes of meetings of the Licensing Sub-Committee ‘A’ dated 21 September and 16 November 2017, be approved as a true and accurate record.

The Corporate Director Operational and Partnership Services submitted a report, that asked the Sub-Committee to consider an application to grant a licence for a Private Hire Vehicle.

The application was made by James Bickerstaff to licence a Renault Trafic Business Class registration number MD15 SXA as a Private Hire Vehicle to seat 8 persons. The vehicle was pre-owned and first registered at the DVLA on 27 July 2015.

Members and Officers then proceeded to inspect the vehicle that was available for inspection in the Council Chamber basement car park, and briefly adjourned the meeting for this purpose.

Upon the meeting reconvening, the Team Manager (Licensing) advised Members that the mileage of the vehicle currently was 17,638 miles. She added that the application fell outside the Private Hire Vehicle Policy approved by the Licensing Committee. The vehicle was not wheelchair accessible, but there were specific policy guidelines in respect of the first licensing of Private Hire Vehicles which fell outside the policy guidelines outlined in paragraph 4.4 of the report. A full service history of the vehicle had been provided by the applicant.

The Team Manager (Licensing) asked the applicant to give Members an outline of the history of the vehicle.

Mr. Bickerstaff confirmed that the only previous owners were an elderly couple, and that the vehicle would primarily be used, for airport trips and like trips from Bridgend to Cardiff and return for users ‘nights out’, etc.

RESOLVED:              The Sub-Committee considered the application for the   licence of vehicle registration number MD15 SXA as a Private Hire Vehicle.

                                  The Sub-Committee noted that the vehicle fell outside paragraph 2.1 of the Council’s Licensing Policy due to its age.

                                  The Sub-Committee considered the exceptional circumstances under paragraph 2.2.5 of the Policy, and decided that due to the exceptional interior and exterior quality of the vehicle, and exceptional standards of safety, Members agreed to grant the application.   

To consider any other item(s) of business in respect of which notice has been given in accordance with Rule 4 of the Council Procedure Rules and which the person presiding at the meeting is of the opinion should by reason of special circumstances be transacted at the meeting as a matter of urgency.

None.

The minutes and reports relating to the following items are not for publication as they

contain exempt information as defined in Paragraph 12 of Part 4 and/or Paragraph 21 of Part 5 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information)(Variation)(Wales) Order 2007.

If following the application of the public interest test the Committee resolves pursuant to the Act to consider these items in private, the public will be excluded from the meeting during such consideration.

RESOLVED:              That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) (Wales) Order 2007, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business as they contained exempt information as defined in Paragraph 12 of Part 4 and/or Paragraph 21 of Part 5 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

                                   Following the application of the public interest test it was resolved that pursuant to the Act referred to above, to consider the following items in private, with the public excluded from the meeting, as it was considered that in all the circumstances relating to the items, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information, because the information would be prejudicial to the applicants so mentioned.

To receive for approval the exempt minutes of 21/09/2017 and 16/11/2017