Agenda item

A report from the Executive Director (Operations) is attached.

The Executive Director (Operations) submitted a report advising Members on operational issues within the Licensing Service.

The report set out updates in respect of the following issues:

The Licensing Service had dealt with a number of compliance and

enforcement matters between the 16^th May and the 3^rd July 2022.

PARKLIFE

Officers from the Public Protection Service worked during the weekend of the

Parklife concert that took place on the weekend of the 11^th and 12^th June

2022. Officers dealt with matters relating to:

·                     Unlicensed Taxi’s

·                     Illegal Street Trading

·                     Pedlars

·                     Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Trade enforcement

·                     Assistance of residents surrounding the event relating to taxis, noise and street trading

·                     Visited and checked all licensed premises in the vicinity of the event for compliance including off licences.

·                     Intelligence gathering on the event and reported matters to the Community Impact team.

·                     Officers were accompanied by Councillors O’Brien, Quinn and Gold during parts of the event.

BURY HACKNEY ASSOCIATION

Correspondence of thanks had been received by Bury Hackney Association following Park Life and was detailed in the report. The Public Protection Service had also received correspondence from Councillors and the organisers of the event, thanking the service for the work that they had undertaken.

TRADE LIAISON MEETING

On the 16^th June 2022, a joint trade liaison meeting (Licensing/Police and the

Hackney carriage and Private hire trade) took place. Discussions took place on

a number of issues relating to:

·                     Reporting of any incidents to Greater Manchester Police

·                     Praise was given for the work carried out by the Police, Licensing Officers and other officers of the Council.

·                     Application submission times – can apply up to 8 weeks in advance

·                     Driver Safety Initiative

·                     Update on EV Charge Points – Clean Air

·                     Wheelchair Accessible vehicles – Fiat Freedom/Peugeot Premier.

·                     Common Minimum Licensing Standards

·                     Compliance Test Certification

The Licensing Service are in the process of developing a webpage on the Council’s Website to enable the minutes of the trade liaison meetings can be published to enable all the hackney carriage and private hire trade to view the minutes

IMMEDIATE REVOCATION OF A PRIVATE HIRE DRIVER

The Licensing Service have recently received a complaint regarding a Private Hire Driver. Due to the nature of the information received, the Licensing Service in conjunction with the Head of Public Protection and Chair of this Committee considered the information and through the Council’s scheme of delegation on the 23 June 2022 revoked a licensed private hire driver’s licence with immediate effect under the powers of the Road Safety Act 2006 in the interests of public safety.

ENGAGEMENT WITH HACKNEY CARRIAGE AND PRIVATE HIRE TRADE

Following the recent request from the Licensing and Safety Committee to remind all drivers regarding the declaring of convictions/fixed penalties, the Licensing Service sent information on the 1^st July 2022 to all licensed drivers, operators and Trade representatives which was contained in the report.

TAXI DRIVER SAFETY INITIATIVE

The Licensing Service have contacted all licensed hackney carriage and

private hire drivers to inform them of a six-week consultation (28 June until 9

August 2022) relating to a boroughwide (Licensed) Driver Safety Initiative.

The consultation is being carried out to provide Licensed Drivers in Bury the

opportunity to contribute their views and opinions on their own safety as a

licensed driver in Bury. All responses obtained through the consultation

will be used to contribute to the development and implementation of this new

safety initiative. Licensed Drivers in Bury have been encouraged to take part

in the consultation to ensure their concerns are addressed and appropriate

crime reduction advice, guidance and control measures are included and

considered.

Councillor McGill asked once the webpage was live detailing the trade liaison meetings could this be communicated and the Chair requested that the link be circulated to all Members of the Committee along with information on how to access the taxi driver safety initiative.

Councillor Rizvi seeked clarity on unlicenced vehicles at the Parklife event and who was responsible. The Licensing Unit Manager reported that the Council only had enforcement powers on Bury Licenced vehicles and the Head of Public Protection added details would be noted of private hire vehicles plying for hire and sent to the relevant authority that vehicle was licensed to.

Councillor Donnelly asked if it was a requirement for a reply to the driver safety consultation and it was reported it was not and over 1,000 individual emails had been sent out.

The Chair on behalf of the Committee, Councillors, the taxi trade and general public thanked the Licensing Department Officers for their hard work over the weekend the Parklife festival took place.

It was agreed:

That the report be noted.