Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

To elect Chair for 2026 / 2027

DECISION

TO RE-ELECT COUNCILLOR GWYNFOR OWEN AS CHAIR FOR 2026/27

It was proposed and seconded to re-elect Councillor Gwynfor Owen as Chair for 2026/27.

RESOLVED TO RE-ELECT COUNCILLOR GWYNFOR OWEN AS CHAIR FOR 2026/27

To elect Vice Chair for 2026 / 2027

DECISION

TO RE-ELECT COUNCILLOR ARWYN HERALD ROBERTS AS VICE CHAIR FOR 2026/27

It was proposed and seconded to re-elect Councillor Arwyn Herald Roberts as Vice-chair for 2026/27.

It was proposed to elect Councillor Gareth Williams as Vice-chair for 2026/27. It was not seconded.

RESOLVED TO RE-ELECT COUNCILLOR ARWYN HERALD ROBERTS AS VICE-CHAIR FOR 2026/27

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillors Gareth Tudor Jones, Meryl Roberts and John Brynmor Hughes.

Councillor Anwen Davies was having problems with her technology equipment and therefore was unable to attend the meeting.

To receive any declaration of personal interest.

No declarations of personal interest were received from any members present

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

None to note

The Chairman shall propose that the minutes of the meeting of this Committee, held on the 9^th of March 2026 be signed as a true record. 

The Chair signed the minutes of a meeting of the committee held on 9 March 2026 as a true record.

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

a) 10-02-26

The minutes of the Central Licensing Sub-committee held on 10-02-2026 were submitted and accepted for information.

To consider and approve a proposal by the industry to increase the maximum fares

DECISION:

·        Increase the maximum fare for a 1-mile journey from £3.60 to £4.00 to be consistent with several other councils and acknowledge the increase in the costs of running a taxi.

·        Increase the operational hours of the late-night tariff to be operational between 22:00pm until 07:00am, instead of being operational from 00:00 midnight.

·        Reduce the rate of late-night journeys from being 60% higher than the basic rate back to being 50% higher than the basic rate to correspond generally with other councils.

·        To instruct the Licensing Authority to proceed with a statutory public consultation on the proposals.

 A report was submitted by the Head of the Environment Department stating that an application had been received from three taxi company owners in Gwynedd for the Licensing Authority to review maximum hackney carriage taxi fares. Members were reminded that it was required that any request to change the maximum fare should be submitted by the industry. It was reported that an application to increase the maximum fare had been approved in 2019 and later in 2022, but there had been no change since then. An increase was seen in the maximum fare for the first two miles of a trip, but there had been no increase in the basic rates.

Reference was made to those factors affecting taxi fares, such as an increase in national insurance costs and an increase in the minimum wage rate over recent years, which had undermined the ability of small businesses such as taxi companies to make a profit. In addition, the country's economic situation over the past few months had seen a significant increase in fuel costs, with projections that fuel costs would not decrease in the near future, and another increase in gas and electricity costs on the horizon. It was noted that the rate of inflation remained above the Government's 2% target and that while the rate of inflation had fallen recently, the increase in fuel costs and geopolitical factors in the Middle East meant that inflation and basic food costs were likely to rise over the coming months.

It was noted that appropriate insurance costs for licensed vehicles were high, with annual costs attached to licensing a taxi vehicle, and costs every three years associated with drivers' licences. 

Prices in other councils across north Wales were referred to, highlighting a variation in the maximum fare rate from £3.50 to £4.00. It was confirmed that a number of companies that had submitted an application to increase the maximum fare were proposing to increase the rate for the first mile from £3.60 to £4.00. Although an application was made to raise the rate in 2022, the request was rejected due to concern that elderly or vulnerable people, who were unable to use other modes of travel, would be affected by this additional increase together with an increase in the cost of living. It was also noted that with rising wage and vehicle maintenance costs, taxi companies were reporting that the costs were no longer being recouped by charging £3.60 for the first mile.

The Licensing Authority's recommendation, taking into account all the factors that were important to the current economic context, was to propose that the fares be increased as follows -

·       To increase the maximum fare for a one-mile journey from £3.60 to £4.00 to be consistent with several other councils and acknowledge the increase in the costs of running a taxi.

·       To increase the operational hours of the late-night tariff to be operational between 21:00 and 07:00, instead of being operational from 00:00 midnight.

·       To reduce the cost rate  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.