To receive apologies for absence from Members.   

Apologies for absence were received from the following Members:

Councillor HE Morgan

Councillor E Venables

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 public Minutes of the Licensing Sub-Committee of 16 February 2016

RESOLVED:           That the minutes of the Licensing Sub-Committee of 16 February 2016 were approved as a true and accurate record.

The Senior Licensing Officer (Technical) submitted a report regarding an application by Peyton Travel Limited to licence a Renault Trafic vehicle registration number MJ12 PHA as a hackney carriage wheelchair accessible vehicle to seat 8 persons.  She stated there is no tail lift fitted to the vehicle.  The vehicle is pre-owned and first registered at the DVLA on 25 May 2012.  The applicant has provided a service history for the vehicle and a certificate of testing from Swansea Coachworks Limited in respect of a floor system for passenger seats and wheelchair.       

The applicant attended in support of his application and the Sub-Committee adjourned the meeting in order to view the vehicle.  On inspecting the vehicle, the mileage was confirmed as being 34,335 miles. 

The applicant informed the Sub-Committee that in the event of his application being successful he proposed to use the vehicle on the taxi ranks.      

The Senior Licensing Officer (Technical) informed the Sub-Committee that the application fell outside the Policy guidelines for the first licensing of vehicles and which would normally be refused; however, a relaxation of the Policy may be considered in exceptional circumstances.   

RESOLVED:           That the Sub-Committee has considered the application to licence a Renault Trafic vehicle registration number MJ12 PHA as a hackney carriage wheelchair accessible vehicle to seat 8 persons.  The vehicle does not comply with the Council’s vehicle policy, however it feels that it can depart from the policy to allow for the licensing of a wheelchair accessible as the vehicle is in a good condition.  This will ensure that wheelchair users can hire a taxi in the Borough with minimum delay and inconvenience.  

            The Sub-Committee granted the application to licence a Renault Trafic vehicle registration number MJ12 PHA as a hackney carriage wheelchair accessible vehicle to seat 8 persons. 

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.

There were no urgent items. 

The minutes relating to the following item 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 this item 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 contain exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 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.

To receive for approval the Exempt Minutes of a meeting of the Licensing Sub-Committee dated 16 February 2016