Council proposes variation to hackney carriage and private hire licence fees

Shropshire Council is proposing to vary its fees in relation to the licensing of hackney carriage proprietors and drivers and for private hire vehicles, operators and drivers.

The council is advising all those drivers and operators who may be affected by these changes to be aware of the proposals and to make any objections they may have within the next five weeks.

Objections to the proposals must be received by 5pm on 15 February 2015 and these must be submitted to the council in writing, either by post or by email, in accordance with the formal notice.

Frances Darling, Shropshire Council’s Senior Commissioner for public protection, said:

“The council has a legal duty to publish any proposed variation to these particular licence fees and to allow a minimum of 28 days for objections to be received. If no objections are received by the deadline, the fees will automatically take effect from 16 February 2015. However, if we do receive objections, these will be given full consideration by the council’s Strategic Licensing Committee before a final decision is made. In this event, it is anticipated that the fees will take effect from 1 April 2015.”

Councillor Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member responsible for public protection, said:

“We can recover certain costs associated with delivering the licensing service for the hackney carriage and private hire trades. Consequently, the fees currently being proposed aim to do this in as fair a manner as is possible, whilst continuing to comply with relevant legal requirements.”

Michael Wood, Chairman of the Strategic Licensing Committee, added:

“We are currently proposing that some charges will increase, some will stay the same and some will even decrease. It is about making sure that our costs are recovered as much as possible to enable us to deliver a fit for purpose and resilient service to our customers.

“To help the Strategic Licensing Committee make an informed decision about the fees, I would encourage all those who may be affected by the changes to submit any objections they have as soon as possible and clearly to do so before the 5pm deadline on 15 February.”

Further information is available in the report that was considered by the Strategic Licensing Committee on 10 December 2014.