Agenda item

The Head of Housing and Communities, John Littlemore, introduced the report on the Review of Taxi Rank Provision. Members were informed that the consultation period for the Hackney carriage proprietors started on 25 April 2014 and finished on 16 May 2014, from which two suggestions arose:

1)  Establishing permanent taxi rank bays in the lower High Street following the completion of the High Street redevelopment.

2)  Swapping the current taxi rank outside of ‘Lush’ in the upper High street/top of Gabriel’s Hill with the disabled parking spaces outside of NatWest Bank on the opposite side of the road.

Further consultations were undertaken on these two suggestions, with a request for any further suggestions, among Disabled and Community Groups including the Police, Schools, Churches and various Trusts to name a few, and Transport Integration Stakeholders. Although only 13 responses were returned, the results indicated that the current provision of ranks was no longer considered suitable for the Towns needs and alternative provisions should be investigated and actioned. The Head of Housing and Community therefore proposed that Members consider establishing a working group to undertake a formal process of investigation of options.

In response to questions Members were advised that:

·  There had not been a review of all taxi ranks as these were amended in response to increases and decreases in need in different areas.

·  Kent Police were one of the statutory bodies that would be consulted on changes to taxi ranks.

Members expressed concern regarding options that would affect the provision and placement of disabled parking bays, however the Committee was mindful that a review of taxi ranks should be considered separately from a review of disabled parking bays, and therefore that reference to disabled parking bays should be removed from the consultation.

Consequently a Member proposed that a working group should not be requested to progress suggestion 2) but would not be precluded from discussion and consideration any comments that arose. This was seconded and agreed by the Committee.

RESOLVED: That Members note the responses received to date and agree that the review of taxi ranks and their hours of operation, including the local and practical issues associated with their provision, be progressed through the establishment of a working group made up of representatives of the trade and officers who will report back to Members subject to the following amendment:

That the first option arising from the consultation form the subject of the working group, namely establishing permanent taxi ranks bays in the lower High Street following the completion of the High Street redevelopment – without this precluding discussion and consideration of comments that arose.