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Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: Town Hall, High Street, Maidstone

Contact: Caroline Matthews  01622 602743

Items
No. Item

32.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

There were no apologies.

 

33.

Notification of Substitute Members

Minutes:

There were no Substitute Members.

 

34.

Urgent Items

Minutes:

There were no urgent items.

 

35.

Notification of Visiting Members

Minutes:

It was noted that Councillor Kimmance was present as a Visiting Member but did not register to speak.

 

 

36.

Disclosures by Members and Officers

Minutes:

There were no disclosures by Members or Officers.

 

37.

Disclosures of Lobbying

Minutes:

There were no disclosures of lobbying.

 

38.

Exempt Items

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That the items on the agenda be taken in public.  However, the contents of the minutes (Part II) of the Licensing Act 2003 Sub-Committee held on 6 August 2018 should remain in private.

 

39.

Minutes of the Meeting Held on 20 September 2018 pdf icon PDF 56 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the Meeting held on 20 September 2018 be approved as a correct record and signed.

 

40.

Minutes of the Licensing Act 2003 Sub-Committee Meeting held on 7 June 2018 pdf icon PDF 65 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the Licensing Act 2003 Sub-Committee Meeting held on 7 June 2018 be approved as a correct record and signed.

 

Councillors McLoughlin and Mrs Grigg asked for their dissent to be noted on the signing of the Licensing Act 2003 Sub-Committee minutes at the Committee meetings.

 

 

41.

Minutes (Parts I and II) of the Licensing Act 2003 Sub-Committee Meeting held on 6 August 2018 pdf icon PDF 32 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That the minutes (Parts I and II) of the Licensing Act 2003 Sub-Committee Meeting held on 6 August 2018 be approved as a correct record and signed.

 

42.

Minutes of the Licensing Act 2003 Sub-Committee Meeting held on 3 September 2018 pdf icon PDF 134 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the Licensing Act 2003 Sub-Committee Meeting held on 3 September 2018 be approved as a correct record and signed.

 

43.

Minutes of the Licensing Act 2003 Sub-Committee Meeting held on 25 September 2018 pdf icon PDF 79 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the Licensing Act 2003 Sub-Committee Meeting held on 25 September 2018 be approved as a correct record and signed.

 

44.

Statement of Licensing Principles for Gambling Act 2005 2019 -2022

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the report of Mrs Lorraine Neale, the Senior Licensing Manager which provided the consultation responses received and proposed amendments to the draft Statement of Gambling Policy.

 

Mrs Neale indicated that the consultation period run from 6 August to
28 October 2018 and three responses had been received.  Only one of the responses had suggested some changes to be made to the document.

 

RESOLVED to RECOMMEND to the Communities, Housing and Environment Committee: That the draft Gambling Act 2009 Statement of Principles 2019-2022 Policy be recommended for adoption by Council, with the inclusion of amendments following the consultation responses received.

 

Voting:  Unanimous

 

 

45.

Emission standards and suitability for use of Maidstone pdf icon PDF 81 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Mr John Littlemore, the Head of Housing and Community Services presented his report on the implementation of the Taxi Emissions Policy.

 

The Committee were reminded that a report was brought to the 29 March 2018 meeting where Members were asked to consider a proposed Taxi Low Emission Standards Policy and agreed to put the draft policy out for consultation.  The consultation ran from 3 August 2018 to 7 October 2018.

 

It was noted that the responses received indicated that there had been a lack of understanding from the taxi trade about how the phased policy would work, with some assuming that they would need to buy a car in 2021 and then another in 2025.  It was therefore felt that further clarification was needed through focus groups or public meetings to improve understanding and obtain a more representative sample of responses.

 

In response to a question from a Member of the Committee , Mr Littlemore advised that the focus groups would only be held to clarify specific issues, not to open up the whole consultation.  

 

RESOLVED:   That the decision on implementation of the Taxi Emissions Policy following the consultation be deferred to enable clarification of certain points with the Hackney and Private Hire Trade.

 

Voting:  Unanimous

46.

Licence Fees 2019 -2020 pdf icon PDF 138 KB

Minutes:

The Committee considered the report of Mrs Neale, the Senior Licensing Manager which set the fee levels for implementation on 1 April 2019 subject to the consideration of any representations following consultation.

 

In response to questions from the Committee, Officers advised that:-

 

·  The fees were reviewed annually and this year there had only been a 2.5% inflationary increase.  If the Council was not in a partnership arrangement then it was probable that the fees would have been even higher.

·  The fees for animal welfare facilities would be reviewed in 12 months as agreed at the last meeting of the Committee but it would be the intention for the fees to fall in line eventually with all the others.

 

RESOLVED:  That:

 

1)  The fees levels as set out in paragraphs 2.7, 2.9, 2.11, 2.13, 2.15 and 2.17 in the report be approved for implementation on 1 April 2019 subject to the consideration of any representations following consultation.


Voting:  For:  9  Against:  0  Abstentions:  3

 

 

 

 

47.

Duration of Meeting

Minutes:

6.30 p.m. to 7.05 p.m.