Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence from Councillors.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors A Filer, C Matthews and P Sidaway.

To receive information on any changes in the membership of the Committee.

Note – When a member of a Committee is unable to attend a meeting of a Committee or Sub-Committee, the relevant Political Group Leader (or their nominated representative) may, by notice to the Monitoring Officer (or their nominated representative) prior to the meeting, appoint a substitute member from within the same Political Group. The contact details on the front of this agenda should be used for notifications.

There were no substitute members.

Councillors are requested to declare any interests on items included in this agenda. Please refer to the workflow on the preceding page for guidance.

Declarations received will be reported at the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive any public questions, statements or petitions submitted in accordance with the Constitution, which is available to view at the following link:

https://democracy.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CommitteeID=151&Info=1&bcr=1

The deadline for the submission of a public question is midday on Thursday 16 October 2025 [midday 3 clear working days before the meeting].

The deadline for the submission of a public statement is midday on Tuesday 21 October 2025 [midday the working day before the meeting].

The deadline for the submission of a petition is Wednesday 8 October 2025 [10 working days before the meeting].

There were no public questions, statements, or petitions for this meeting.

This report presents the updated policy proposals concerning the Council’s taxi and private hire licences and the findings of the public consultation that was carried out between 3 March 2025 and the 28 April 2025.

The current policies were adopted in June 2021, following the establishment of BCP Council. These policies are divided into three distinct areas: driver, vehicle, and operator licensing.

Since their implementation, there have been updates issued by the Department for Transport to statutory standards and best practice guidance as well as legislative changes. 

The Licensing and Trading Standards Manger presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix A to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

The Committee was informed that the report outlined updated policy proposals for BCP Council’s taxi and private hire licensing, incorporating feedback from a public consultation held between 3 March and 28 April 2025.

The existing policies, adopted in June 2021 following the formation of BCP Council, covered three areas:

• Driver licensing
• Vehicle licensing
• Operator licensing

Since their adoption, there had been updates to statutory standards, best practice guidance from the Department for Transport, and legislative changes. In line with statutory requirements, licensing policies should be reviewed every five years.

The revised policy aimed to:

• Improve public safety
• Protect vulnerable individuals
• Ensure vehicle accessibility
• Promote environmental sustainability
• Support the local economy

The updated policies provided a clear framework to guide fair, transparent, and consistent decision-making by officers and elected members.

Results from the public consultation were detailed in the Research and Consultation Team Report (dated 25 June) and included as Appendix 6 to the Report.

The Committee noted public concerns about the increasing presence of non-BCP Council licensed vehicles operating within the BCP area. The Deregulation Act 2015, allowed private hire operators to subcontract bookings to operators licensed in other local authority areas, whereas previously, subcontracting was restricted to within the same licensing area.

The Institute of Licensing (IoL) was advocating for legislative changes to restrict cross-border hiring but no new legislation had been introduced to address this issue. Members of the public could report complaints concerning cross-border vehicles online via the BCP Council’s complaint system.

Driver Policy Feedback

Hackney Carriage Licence Quantity Restrictions:

The Committee was asked to consider removing the restriction on the number of new Hackney Carriage licences in the Bournemouth and Poole areas. The Department for Transport’s best practice guidance (Nov 2023) advised against imposing quantity limits, recommending regular reviews if restrictions were in place.

It was noted that:

• Removing the restriction would align BCP Council with national best practice.
• Existing licences remained unallocated, suggesting no negative impact from lifting the cap.
• Cost savings from no longer needing unmet needs surveys would be reflected in annual licence fees.

RESOLVED that the Licensing Committee agree that quantity restrictions should not be imposed, allowing anyone who meets the criteria to apply for a Hackney Carriage licence.

Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) Requirement:

The Committee was asked to consider whether to remove the requirement for all new Hackney Carriage vehicles to be wheelchair accessible, so that any approved vehicle could be licensed as a Hackney Carriage.

It was noted that:

• Public feedback highlighted the importance of equitable access and concerns about vehicle availability.
• Although WAVs were more expensive to maintain, the policy was amended to support affordability:
  • WAVs must be Euro 6 compliant
  • Must have no more than 100,000 miles, compared to the standard 60,000 miles for non-WAVs
• Nationally, wheelchair users represented 2% of the population  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

To consider, amend as required and agree the Forward Plan.

The Licensing and Trading Standards Manager took members through the Committee’s Forward Plan, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'B' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

The following updates were provided:

• Review of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver Vehicle and Operator Policies – The policies had been reviewed and approved by the Licensing Committee and would go to full Council for adoption on 9 December 2025. This item could now be removed from the Forward Plan.
• The Pleasure Boats and Boatpersons Licensing Policy - Following informal consultation with stakeholders, a revised draft policy would now be considered by the Licensing Committee on 11 December 2025. Public consultation would commence in 2026.
• Review of Statement of Licensing Principles - Gambling Act 2005 – No guidance from the Gambling Commission had been received so this had not progressed. It was highlighted that a full review of the policy was due in 2027 and as a ‘light touch’ policy review had already taken place this year the Licensing and Trading Standards Manager requested that this item be removed from the Forward Plan until such time that it was ready to be brought forward in 2027.
• Review of Licensing Fees – A review of the Council’s licensing fees would be considered by the Licensing Committee on 11 December and would need to go out to public consultation.

Committee Briefings and Training Sessions 2025

Chair training for current and prospective chairs of Licensing Sub-Committees would take place after the close of Licensing Committee on 11 December 2025.

A cumulative impact zone briefing would take place after the close of Licensing Committee on 12 March 2026.

Members of the Committee were asked to contact the Clerk should they have any future training requirements or areas which they would like more information on, and this would be scheduled to take place following the end of a future meeting.

RESOLVED that the Forward Plan be approved with the following amendments:

1. Review of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver Vehicle and Operator Policies to be removed as completed; and
2. Review of Statement of Licensing Principles – Gambling Act 2005 be removed from the Forward Plan and be brought back for consideration in 2027 when the next full review was due.