Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillors Paul Campbell and Margaret Lishman.

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the last meeting as enclosed.

The minutes of the meeting held on 27^th February 2019 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To determine the level of taxi licence fees and charges from January 2020.

Members considered the level of taxi licence fees to be effective from January 2020.

The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 permits the Council to set the driver, vehicle and operator licence fees to recover specified costs but the fees cannot generate a profit for the Council.

The proposed fees would be advertised for 28 days and subject to no objections would come into force on 1^st January 2020.

Members asked if the Council had any future plans to encourage the use of electric cars in the taxi trade and if any incentives might be introduced.  The Head of Streetscene explained that there had been a successful Lancashire bid for government funding to implement electric charging points across the County.  Lancaster City Council was the lead authority on this and Burnley would have some charging points installed by March 2020.  She also said that the Council had arranged events with manufacturers to showcase electric vehicles to which the taxi trade had been invited but that take up had been low.  She anticipated that the focus on the standards of vehicles would drive change in the future.

RESOLVED

1.    That approval be given to advertise the proposal to vary taxi fees from January 2020 at the levels outline in Appendix A to the report; and

2.    That subject to no objections being received (or objections received which are subsequently withdrawn) the fees are implemented as advertised.