Meeting documents

SWT Licensing Committee
Monday, 18th January, 2021 6.15 pm

Venue: Webcasting - Virtual. View directions

Contact: Clare Rendell Email: c.rendell@somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk 

Webcast: View the webcast

Items
No. Item

8.

Apologies

9.

Minutes of the previous meeting of the Licensing Committee pdf icon PDF 135 KB

10.

Declarations of Interest

    To receive and note any declarations of disclosable pecuniary or prejudicial or personal interests in respect of any matters included on the agenda for consideration at this meeting.

     

    (The personal interests of Councillors and Clerks of Somerset County Council, Town or Parish Councils and other Local Authorities will automatically be recorded in the minutes.)

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Members present at the meeting declared the following personal interests in their capacity as a Councillor or Clerk of a County, Town or Parish Council or any other Local Authority:-

     

    Name

    Minute No.

    Description of Interest

    Reason

    Action Taken

    Cllr P Bolton

    All Items

    Minehead

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr S Coles

    All Items

    SCC & Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr C Ellis

    All Items

    Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr Mrs Hill

    All Items

    Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr S Lees

    All Items

    Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr L Lisgo

    All Items

    Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr M Lithgow

    All Items

    Wellington

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr J Lloyd

    All Items

    Wellington & Sampford Arundel

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr C Palmer

    All Items

    Minehead

    Personal

    Spoke

    Cllr M Peters

    All Items

    Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr P Pilkington

    All Items

    Timberscombe

    Personal

    Spoke

    Cllr R Tully

    All Items

    West Monkton

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr B Weston

    All Items

    Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke

    Cllr L Whetlor

    All Items

    Watchet

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

     

11.

Public Participation

    The Chair to advise the Committee of any items on which members of the public have requested to speak and advise those members of the public present of the details of the Council’s public participation scheme.

     

    For those members of the public who have submitted any questions or statements, please note, a three minute time limit applies to each speaker and you will be asked to speak before Councillors debate the issue.

     

    Temporary measures during the Coronavirus Pandemic

    Due to the Government guidance on measures to reduce the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19), we will holding meetings in a virtual manner which will be live webcast on our website. Members of the public will still be able to register to speak and ask questions, which will then be read out by the Governance and Democracy Case Manager during Public Question Time and will either be answered by the Chair of the Committee, or the relevant Portfolio Holder, or be followed up with a written response.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    No members of the public had requested to speak on any item on the agenda.

12.

Licensing Quarterly Update Report pdf icon PDF 238 KB

    This report gives officers the opportunity to update members of the committee on work of note, progress on any projects, changes in legislation and look ahead to any significant events that lie ahead.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    During the discussion, the following points were raised:-

    ·       Concern was raised that Taunton did not have a Town Council to consult with as part of the Pavement Licence application process.  Councillors queried how would the Licensing Department consult on applications in the Taunton area.

    The Licensing Specialist understood that there wasn’t a Town Council for Taunton and he hoped that the other organisations for the area would highlight any issues on an application.  However, he was happy to add the Taunton Chartered Trustees to the list of consulted parties.

    ·       Councillors queried how the Taxi Forum would operate in the new joint area of Somerset West and Taunton (SWT).  They appreciated that it was a valuable way of discussing and consulting with the taxi trade but concern was raised on the amount of time that could be wasted travelling to different venues across the district.

    The Licensing Specialist acknowledged that the taxi forum had worked well over the years and so he was keen to reinstate it for the wider SWT area.  He advised that due to the technological advances SWT had made as a result of the periods of lockdown during the Covid Pandemic, he would most likely hold the taxi forum using a virtual meeting format, which would eliminate the need for the taxi drivers to travel to any set location.

    ·       Councillors queried whether the changeover to expression of interest forms instead of application forms for Street Trading Consent had improved the process.  They had noticed a drop in the applications received but had assumed that was because of the Covid Pandemic.

    The Licensing Specialist advised that he wanted to introduce the use of the expression of interest forms to assist the applicants in gauging whether their request would be successful or not prior to them submitting a formal application.  It also allowed the Licensing Department to control the types trading activity to ensure that the applications submitted would enhance and compliment the area rather than have a detrimental impact on the other local traders.

    ·       Councillors queried when the mandatory safeguarding training for taxi drivers would start.

    The Licensing Specialist explained that it was difficult to pick a specific date for when the training would start as there were several factors that still needed to be decided on: how the training would be delivered; which format would be used; whether it would only apply to new drivers; to name but a few.  However, he acknowledged that it was a vital part of ensuring that they had fit and proper licensed taxi drivers.

    ·       Councillors queried whether there was a knowledge test for taxi drivers in the SWT area to ensure that the drivers had a good knowledge of the local area.

    The Licensing Specialist explained that there used to be a knowledge test as part of the application process and he was keen to get it added back into the process.  He advised that the majority of the development work on the test had been carried out, so they  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.