Agenda item

A report from the Executive Director (Corporate Core) is attached.

The Executive Director (Corporate Core) submitted an additional report advising Members on operational issues within the Licensing Service.

The report set out updates in respect of matters that the Licensing service are or have been involved with:

PURPLE FLAG

Purple Flag is an accreditation process similar to the Green Flag award for parks and the Blue Flag for beaches. It leads to Purple Flag status for town & city centres that meet or surpass the standards of excellence in managing the evening and night time economy (ENTE).

Bury has held Purple Flag for over 10 years now and the town centres achieve a Purple Flag will be those that are safe, diverse, vibrant, appealing, well-managed and offer a positive experience to consumers.

Officers from the Licensing Service took part in the internal assessment for the Purple Flag Assessment with other colleagues within the Council. The internal assessment will be sent to the ATCM (Association of Town and City Management) for review and approval.

Whilst undertaking the internal assessment, the officers visited the Street Pastors who work in the Town Centre providing support to patrons in the town and have a good links with the Council, Greater Manchester Police and other partners to ensure that core standards are upheld.  

DRAFT TAXI AND PRIVATE HIRE VEHICLE (PHV) BILL – KEY REFORMS AND LOCAL IMPLICATIONS

The Government has announced a draft Bill representing the most significant overhaul of taxi and private hire legislation in more than a century. The reforms aim to modernise an outdated system, strengthen public safety, and introduce a consistent national framework across England.

The Bill responds to longstanding concerns about safeguarding, inconsistent enforcement, and cross-border working, including recommendations from Baroness Casey’s review into child sexual exploitation.

CCTV

Bury Council does not currently have an adopted policy mandating CCTV or covering the installation or standard/requirement(s) of CCTV systems within licensed Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicles.

The Council has previously explored the introduction of a CCTV trial which requires funding. Application for ARIS funding to support a pilot scheme, working in partnership with Greater Manchester Police was unfortunately unsuccessful and consequently there are no opportunities to run a pilot scheme.

During the implementation of the Greater Manchester Common Minimum Licensing Standards (CMLS), the issue of mandating CCTV was considered. Views within the licensed trade were polarising. A proportion of drivers and proprietors recognise the potential benefits of CCTV, particularly in relation to driver and passenger safety, crime prevention and evidential value. However, others within the trade expressed strong concerns regarding necessity, cost, and privacy. It was also indicated that introducing a mandatory requirement could result in significant opposition, including the potential for industrial action.

The issue has been discussed at length at Trade Liaison Meetings with membership indicating equally strong polarising views on either side of the argument to mandate/not mandate CCTV.

TRADE LIAISON MEETING

Members were provided with an update on the key matters discussed at the Trade Liaison Meeting held in June which discussed relevant operational, policy and strategic issues impacting the licensed trade.

The Trade Liaison meeting forms part of ongoing engagement between the Licensing Service, elected Members, Greater Manchester Police and representatives of the hackney carriage and private hire trade. The meeting considers operational issues, policy development and emerging risks affecting the sector.

The Chair commented that PC Eccleston who attends the Licensing Hearing Sub Committees also sits on the Trade Liaison meetings to help cement communications.

A number of Members asked questions on the report including taxi rank misuse, capacity issues within the enforcement team and local trade figures with the Licensing Unit Manager providing answers to these queries.

A Member enquired about the PHV Bill and supporting a fair and sustainable licensing environment for the sector. The Licensing Unit Manager reported that more information would follow, and this would be brought back to a future committee.

Delegated decision:

It was agreed that the report be noted.