Agenda item

Report of the Environmental Health Team Manager

 

The Licensing Team Leader presented the report to Members.

 

He provided the Licensing Committee with an update on each of the following initiatives conducted by the Licensing Team during 2014/15.

 

EMA Multi Agency Taxi Enforcement

 

The Licensing Team leader informed Members that a bi-annual event was organised by NWLDC with the assistance of Leicestershire Police and East Midlands Airport to stop and check Taxis entering the Airport for defects. At the last event in September 2014, 106 vehicles from 33 councils were checked and a creditable 80 vehicles were found to be mechanically sound. The main defects identified were worn tyres and blown bulbs.

 

Councillor J G Coxon asked whether conducting the on the spot vehicle checks at the same time each year could cause predictability. The Licensing Team Leader informed Members that May and September were the best months to conduct these spot checks as many people were going away on holiday at this time. He informed Members that they were welcome to attend these programmes alongside officers.

 

 

Programme of on the Spot Taxi Vehicle Checks

 

The Licensing Team leader informed Members that 42 licensed vehicles had been subject to on the spot checks. Creditably 38 out of the 42 (90%) had passed the check. The four that had failed did so due to defective tyres and bulbs.

 

 

Councillor J Geary enquired whether or not Taxis drivers whose vehicles had failed for defect tyres had been prosecuted. He felt that the Council had a duty of care for people using Taxis in the district and stated that defunct tyres were a major contributor to road accidents.

 

In response to Councillor J Geary’s question the Licensing Team Leader informed Members that when the Police were involved they did prosecute individuals for tyre defects.  In addition, he explained that the powers to reject vehicles were in many respects as good as prosecution, as drivers had the expense of buying a new vehicle.

 

Visual Check of Older Taxi Vehicles

 

The Licensing Team Leader stated that to ensure a high quality of vehicles on the roads, a programme of inspections of older vehicles had been undertaken with 63 vehicles receiving a visual check.

 

Mechanical Examination of Licensed Vehicles

 

It was stated that every licensed vehicle within the district underwent a mechanical examination. Between April and October 2014, 174 vehicles received an examination with 112 of the 174 (64%) vehicles passing the test first time.  The Licensing Team Leader expressed his disappointment that this figure was not as high as he had hoped, and explained that around 70% was the initial target.

 

ACPO week Initiative with the Police

 

The Licensing Team Leader informed Members that although meetings and visits of licensed premises with the police to contribute to the Association of Chief Police Officers Licensing Initiative had been scaled back compared to the previous year, the Council was still intent on contributing to the initiative. 

 

Installation of IDOX public access software

 

The Licensing Team Leader informed Members that new software had been installed on the Council’s website that would enable any person to view and check on real-time licensing applications and decisions that had been approved.  As a result the Licensing Team would no longer be producing a weekly email for Members updating them on applications that had been received.

 

The Licensing Team Leader assured Members that help and assistance would be available for Members in using this service.

 

Councillor T Neilson reiterated comments he had made in June, expressing his desire for the weekly email bulletin to be continued. He stated that he liked the regular updates provided and mentioned that a request had been made to the Planning Department to introduce a weekly bulletin of their own.

 

Councillor J Geary also expressed his concern with doing away with the weekly email provided to Members, citing his own experiences where he had struggled to log on to the Council’s website to view the information that he required. He stated that the weekly email provided a useful source of information that was reliable.

 

Councillor J Geary stated that the new software would mean that he would only receive information relating to specific postcodes. This would consequently cause embarrassment for him as the public may perceive that he was not interested. Living outside the ward that he represents, he would have no knowledge of other applications.

 

Furthermore, Councillor J Geary stated that it was essential all Members received up to date information. He feared that members of the public were becoming disillusioned with Local and Central Government and that it was imperative that Members had the information necessary to provide answers to questions when asked. 

 

In addition, Councillor J Geary stated that less and less information and communication was being sent through to Councillors to enable them to do their jobs and provide an effective public service. He cited an example recently where he had tried to contact an officer from the Council, only to find that they no longer worked there.

 

The Licensing Team Leader informed Members that thousands of pounds had been invested into getting the IDOX software operational and that within time Members would become familiar with the software. He added that the current weekly email circulated to Members did not meet the Councils proactive and service driven standards. He asked that if Members could make the transition to the new software it would be greatly appreciated.

 

The Environmental Health Team Manager added that this was an improved service, and adopting the new software was a step forward and not a step backwards.  He reassured Members that sufficient help would be offered to support them in setting up their profile to ensure they received the information they were interested in.

 

 

Music Events

 

The Licensing Team Leader stated that the District was becoming a hub for music events and large scale events, citing established music festivals such as Download and Strawberry Fields as examples. Members were also informed that the Licensing team had already started to receive enquires for other festivals and one off events for 2015.

 

Councillor N Smith stated that when Strawberry Fields first started it had generated numerous complaints, however things had changed. He informed Members that Heather and Ravenstone did not send any representatives to the debriefing as they were so pleased with the progress of the festival. Furthermore, Packington had asked him to place on record their thanks to all the Officers involved for their hard work.

 

 

Joint Working with Leicestershire Police

 

Members were informed that the relationship between the Police and the Licensing team was continuing to flourish. Visits to high risk premises to ensure compliance with the Licensing Act were continuing.

 

Attendance and Support of Pubwatch

 

The Licensing Team Leader informed Members that Officers regularly attended Pubwatch, and that the local Ashby de la Zouch and Coalville branches of Pubwatch had merged which was a good bonus for the district.

 

Leicestershire Licensing Forum

 

A county wide forum made up of Licensing team leaders, licensing solicitors and police officers. This was providing a broad front for the whole county on all Licensing matters.

 

Depot MOT Checks

 

The Licensing Team Leader informed Members that the number of Taxi drivers that have opted for the Councils depot to undertake their MOT test had risen. He also reminded Members that all Council Staff and Councillors were entitled to use the depot to MOT their own Vehicles. 

 

Licensing Sub-Committee Hearing

 

The Licensing Team Leader stated that three sub committees had been held since the last meeting of the Licensing Committee.

 

Significant Policy Changes 2011-2014

 

The Licensing Team Leader informed Members that the Committee had considered and approved several policies since 2011 and placed on record his thanks to Members for their support over the past few years to produce the policy changes.

 

Councillor J Geary enquired who undertook the Disability training for all licensed drivers and asked about the format of the training. The Licensing Team Leader informed Members that a Consultancy firm from Loughborough who have a wide range of experience perform the training, twice a year in the NWLDC Council Chamber with each course lasting the duration of two hours. 

 

 

RESOLVED THAT:

 

The Licensing Committee notes the contents of the report.