Agenda item

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

The Executive Director (Operations) submitted a report relating to an application to licence a vehicle as a hackney carriage which falls outside the Council’s current policy.

The applicant was in attendance at the meeting alongside their representative. The Chair made introductions and alongside the legal advisor outlined the procedure to be followed and clarified that all those present had read the report. The report, which was accepted by the applicant was presented by the Licensing Unit Manager.

Members were reminded that a report was considered at the Licensing and Safety Committee meeting on the 11^th November 2021 in relation to common minimum standards. Members of the Committee noted the report and recommended approval which was undertaken at a meeting of the Full Council on the 24^th November 2021. The following policy standard was adopted:-

Standard 9 of the adopted common minimum licensing standards related to vehicle design and stated “No vehicle first being licensed will have been written off in any category and will not be renewed (if previously written off) after 1 April 2022”.

On the 24^th March 2022, a further report was considered and adopted by the Licensing and Safety Committee in relation to written off vehicles. The decision of the Committee was as follows:-

Following discussions with the GM Licensing Network, it is proposed to review this standard in its entirety and give consideration to a revised standard in relation to written off vehicles. It is recommended that the standard that has been previously approved be amended as follows:-

Existing licence holders with vehicles that have previously been written off (in any category) will be permitted to renew their licence up to the 31^st March 2023.

On the 16^th March 2023, a further report was considered and approved by the Licensing and Safety Committee in relation to amendments to the Greater Manchester Minimum Licensing Standards for the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire vehicles. This report included amendments to the implementation date for the written-off vehicle to the 1^st April 2026 for existing licensed vehicles. Members resolved that the implementation date for the written-off vehicle standards be extended to 1 April 2026. The amendment of to the written off policy is to permit vehicle licence holders who are currently licensed in Bury with a previously written off vehicle prior to the implementation of the Stage 2 of Common Minimum Standards in November 2021 to continue to be able to licence the vehicle until the 1^st April 2026. In order to achieve compliance, the current policy now stated that from the 1^st April 2025 a vehicle licence will not be renewed if the vehicle has been previously written off.

On the 11^th May 2025, the Licensing Service received an application for the renewal of a Hackney Carriage Vehicle Licence.

The Hackney carriage vehicle licence was due to expire in June 2025. This was attached at Appendix 1 in the private agenda packs.

Members were requested to consider the application and determine whether to depart from current Council Policy relating to the written off vehicle standard which does not permit a written off vehicles being accepted to renew a new vehicle application as outlined in the report contained in the private agenda packs.

Delegated decision:

The Committee carefully considered the report and circumstances via the oral representations and evidence presented by the applicant and their representative.

Taking into account the Council’s current policy and guidelines relating to an application to licence a vehicle as a hackney carriage, the Committee resolved to apply the current licensing policy relating to written off vehicles and refuse the renewal application.