Contact your Parish Council


Licensing Committee

29 March 2018

Is the final decision on the recommendations in this report to be made at this meeting?

Yes

 

Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing: Licence Fees and Charges Fees 2018/2019

 

Final Decision-Maker

Licensing Committee

Lead Head of Service

John Littlemore, Head of Housing and Community Services

Lead Officer/Report Author

Lorraine Neale

Classification

Non-exempt

Wards affected

All

 

 

This report makes the following recommendation:

1.    That the fees and charges agreed at Licensing Committee on 23 November 2017 continue as the fees for 2018-19

 

 

 

This report relates to the following Five Year Plan Key Objectives:

·         Securing a successful economy for Maidstone Borough

It is proposed to set fees which enable the authority to be self-financing with respect to this service.

 

 

Timetable

Meeting

Date

Licensing Committee

 

 

29 March 2018

 



Taxis and Private Hire Fees and Charges 2018/19

 

 

1.         PURPOSE OF REPORT AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

 

1.1      The authority is required to review the fees set for the administration of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing. This ensures the Council complies with its statutory duty and that the licensing of Taxis and Private Hire vehicles, Dual, Hackney Carriage or Private Hire Drivers and Private Hire Operators continues being self-financing, in accordance with the Council’s Financial Strategy.

 

1.2      A fees model, similar to the one used to first set the Gambling Act fees in 2007 was used to determine the fees for 2017/2018, which are requested to continue for 2018/2019. 

 

 

 

 

2.         INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

 

 

2.1         The Taxi Licensing service is required to be self-financing and the recent increases to fees in December 2017 have not been in place long enough to determine whether self financing is maintained. 

 

2.2       A fees model, similar to the one used to first set the Gambling Act fees in 2007, was used to calculate the fees and charges for 2017/2018. The fees were calculated by examining the time it takes to carry out the various tasks in processing the application and who in the authority is likely to carry them out. The hourly rates of staff are fed in to a spread sheet (originally produced by the national support body for local authority regulators, LACORS, to calculate the Gambling Act fees) to calculate costs for each type of activity.

 

 

2.3      Each licence was broken down to include line by line the tasks involved in producing each licence which include: at application stage assistance to the applicant, checking of an application upon receipt, and processing the application. Once processed, types of tasks include: determining the licence or arranging a hearing and holding a hearing, notification of the decision, preparation and issuing of the licence, updating the records/register, appeal preparation and holding an appeal hearing, as well as compliance tests of drivers, vehicles and operators. A proportion of training of Officers and Members has also been included, as well as the cost of consumables.

 

2.4       After applying the fees model to the various licences the fees were set and came into effect on 5th December 2017.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maidstone Borough Council

Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licencing fees and charges - effective from 5 December 2017

 

 

 

Fees

Knowledge test

£32 per test

Hackney Carriage Driver and Dual (Hackney & Private Hire) Driver Licence

On initial application

£332 for three years

(this includes £22.04 towards the Demand Survey & £29.43 for TV monitor and maintenance)

£152 for one year

Disclosure Barring Service search fee

£44 every one or three years depending on licence (or £13 per year if they sign up to the online service)

Total (including DBS fee)

£376 for three years

£196 for one year

On renewal

£325 for three years

(this includes £22.04 towards the Demand Survey & £29.43 for TV monitor and maintenance)

£135 for one year (due to age or medical)

Disclosure Barring Service search fee

£44 every one or three years depending on licence (or £13 per year if they sign up to the online service)

Total (including DBS fee)

£369 for three years

£179 for one year

Private Hire Driver Licence

On initial application

£237 for three years

£142 for one year

Disclosure Barring Service search fee

£44 every one or three years depending on licence (or £13 per year if they sign up to the online service)

Total (including DBS fee)

£281 for three years

£186 for one year

On renewal

£240 for three years

£125 for one year (due to age or medical)

Disclosure Barring Service search fee

£44 every one or three years depending on licence (or £13 per year if they sign up to the online service)

Total (including DBS fee)

£284 for three years

£169 for one year

 

Hackney Carriage Vehicle Licence

New & Renewal

£365 for one year

(this includes £22.04 towards the Demand Survey & £29.43 for monitor and maintenance)

Private Hire Operator Licence

5 year licence – Initial application

£485 for five years

5 year licence - Renewal

£405 for five years

3 year licence – Initial application

£340 for three years

3 year licence - Renewal

£275 for three years

1 year licence – Initial application

£195 for one year

1 year licence - Renewal

£130 for one year

Private Hire Vehicle Licence

New & Renewal

£315 for one year

Other Costs

Change of ownership of licensed vehicle

£70

Replace external vehicle plate

£23

Replace driver badge

£10

Replace internal plate holder

£1.75

Copy of existing paper licence

£12

Change of address details for a replacement licence

£12

Change of name for a vehicle or operator licence

£12

Change of name and address for a driver badge

£21

Vehicle exemption certificate or general administration fee

£45

Vehicle re-test

£48

 

 

 

 

3.         AVAILABLE OPTIONS

 

The fees and charges need to be reviewed to ensure that they are set at appropriate levels to recover the costs associated with providing the service. The fees have not been in position long enough to determine whether they do recover the service.

 

3.1      To propose no changes or reductions to the existing fees..

 

 

3.2      To propose, where possible and appropriate, fees higher than the cost of delivering the service. However, if the Council were subject to Judicial Review it would not be in a position to justify the fees that have been set.

 

 

4.         PREFERRED OPTION AND REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

 

4.1 To propose no changes or reductions to the existing fees..

 

 

 

5.        CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS

 

Issue

Implications

Sign-off

(name of officer and date)

Impact on Corporate Priorities

No implications have been identified

[Head of Service or Manager]

Risk Management

No implications have been identified

[Head of Service or Manager]

Finance and other resources

It is necessary for the Council to deliver a balanced budget and cover the costs of providing this service.

[Section 151 Officer & Finance Team]

Staffing

No implications have been identified

[Head of Service]

Legal

Legal implications are set out in the body of the report.

Jayne Bolas, Solicitor

Team Leader(Contentious)

 

Equality Impact Needs Assessment

No implications have been identified

[Policy & Information Manager]

Environmental/Sustainable Development

No implications have been identified

[Head of Service or Manager]

Community Safety

No implications have been identified

[Head of Service or Manager]

Human Rights Act

No implications have been identified

[Head of Service or Manager]

Procurement

No implications have been identified

[Head of Service & Section 151 Officer]

 

6.         REPORT APPENDICES

 

The following documents are to be published with this report and form part of the report:

 

 N/A

 

 

7.         BACKGROUND PAPERS

 

None