Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillor Anwen Davies, Councillor Alan Jones Evans and Councillor ⁠Angela Russell.

Condolences were extended to Councillor Angela Russell following the recent death of her husband.

Councillor Linda Ann Jones, former member of the Licensing Committees, was thanked for her support to the Licensing Committees and Sub-committees during her time as a Plaid Cymru Member and best wishes were relayed to her. ⁠

To receive any declaration of personal interest.

None to note

To note any items that are a matter of urgency in the view of the Chairman for consideration.

Arrangements relating to the Public Protection Service Structure

A verbal report was received from the Assistant Head of the Environment Department, noting cuts to the Public Protection Service from 1 April 2025 in response to the Cabinet's decision in 2024 to save £100k. It was highlighted that the current arrangement included three managers responsible for three services within the Public Protection Service, but the cut, following a consultation period with staff on how to achieve cuts and retain expertise within the Service, meant removing vacant posts from the structure and re-structuring to two services with two managers and one team leader. The Licensing and Trading Standards service and the Environmental Health Service will come into force on 1 April 2025 with Andrew Parry, the current Public Protection (Trading Standards) manager, being appointed as the Trading Standards and Licensing manager. It was reported that the current Licensing Manager, Gwenan Mai Roberts, due to her experience and expertise in the field, will remain in post to mentor and lead the team.

Andrew Parry was welcomed to the meeting and he was congratulated on his appointment. Gwenan Mai Roberts was thanked for remaining with the Service - the Licensing Committee and Sub-committees benefited from her experience and expertise.

The Chairman shall propose that the minutes of the meeting of this Committee, held on 11^th November 2024 be signed as a true record. 

The Chair signed the minutes of the previous meeting of this committee, held on 11 November 2024, as a true record.

To submit, for information, minutes of the General Licensing Sub-committee meeting held on the following date –

a)     17-12-24

b)     02-12-24

c)     13-11-24

Submitted and received, for information, the minutes of the General Licensing Sub-committees held on 17 December 2024, 2 December 2024 and 13 November 2024, as true records.

To consider the report, review the policy in accordance with the principles agreed in 2017, and to align with national Standards, and consider any other issues that should be addressed in respect of the high-level direction of the policy as part of the review.

RESOLVED:

·        To accept the report

·        To welcome reconciling a service across the County to meet the needs of the industry and users, keeping safety considerations as the core foundations in the direction of the policy

·        To approve the need to review the policy in accordance with the principles agreed in 2017, and to align with National Standards

·       Combined Hackney Carriage/Private Hire Vehicle Driving Licensing Policy

·        Hackney Carriages/Private Hire Vehicles Licensing Policy

·        Private Hire Operators Licensing Policy

·        ⁠Suitability Criteria for Drivers and Operators Policy

The Head of Environment Department submitted a report which provided details on the background information of Gwynedd's current policies, as well as publications from the Welsh Government in response to trying to manage and reconcile the taxi industry, in accordance with the National Taxi Standards.

Members were reminded that, in September 2015, the Licensing Committee had appointed the Head of Environment Department to commence reviewing the policies, proposing a unified taxi policy for Gwynedd, instead of three separate policy documents. It was considered that presenting a unified policy would ensure a fair and consistent service, as well as meet the needs of the industry and users.

It was highlighted, in the context of National Standards, that the licensing conditions for drivers, vehicles and taxi operators in Gwynedd were already in line with the vast majority of the expectations contained in the Standards, but there was an intention to add some safeguarding measures to the licence application process. Measures such as ensuring that a licence applicant received a medical examination to DVLA Group 2 standard, that drivers completed Child Safeguarding Training as part of the application process for a licence and that checks on the national criminal intel system were carried out for every application for a new driver's licence, would be officially included in the new Unified Policy.

It was elaborated that the Committee, in the next 12 months, would get an opportunity to voice opinions on the unified draft policy, before the statutory public consultation was undertaken.

The members expressed their thanks for the report.

Observations from Members arising from the ensuing discussion:

·        The policies desperately needed to be updated

·        The changes were to be welcomed and addressed the national standards

In response to a concern that drivers from outside of Gwynedd had the right to work in Gwynedd, it was noted that a national discussion had been held on the subject with a review from the Welsh Government to try to ensure control over the Wales and England borders (Uber was an example of this). However, there was no current arrangement which allowed the refusal of cross-border work as long as an arrangement had been made beforehand. It was reiterated that the hope was that the Welsh Government revisited the agenda and attempted cross-border control in the future.

In response to a supplementary question that there was a need to work with bordering counties to ensure that drivers from outside of Gwynedd complied with Gwynedd's safety policies, it was noted that Gwynedd was part of an information-sharing system which implemented checks nationally. In rural areas, it was expressed that school transport agreements relied on operators from  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.