In the interest of transparency Councillor T Hussain declared that he was a Member of the Police and Crime Panel (Minute 49).

ACTION: City Solicitor

Recommended –

That the minutes of the meetings held on 16 September, 5 October and 11 November 2021 be signed as a correct record (previously circulated).

(Yusuf Patel - 01274 434579)

Resolved –

That the minutes of the meetings held on 16 September, 5 October and 11 November 2021 be signed as a correct record.

Action: City Solicitor

(Access to Information Procedure Rules – Part 3B of the Constitution)

Reports and background papers for agenda items may be inspected by contacting the person shown after each agenda item.  Certain reports and background papers may be restricted. 

Any request to remove the restriction on a report or background paper should be made to the relevant Strategic Director or Assistant Director whose name is shown on the front page of the report. 

If that request is refused, there is a right of appeal to this meeting. 

Please contact the officer shown below in advance of the meeting if you wish to appeal. 

(Yusuf Patel - 01274 434579)

There were no appeals submitted by the public to review decisions to restrict documents.

No referrals were made at the time of the publication of the agenda.

There were no referrals made to the Committee.

Members are asked to consider if the item relating to the Community Safety Partnership, (Document “U” containing Not for Publication Appendix 2) should be considered in the absence of the public and, if so, to approve the following recommendation:

Recommended –

That the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of Appendix 2 of Document “U” containing Not for Publication information relating to any action taken or to be taken in connection with the prevention, investigation or prosecution of crime, because information would be disclosed which is considered to be exempt information within paragraph 7 (Prevention, Investigation or Prosecution of Crime) of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

It is considered that, in all the circumstances, the public interest in maintaining this exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing this information as it is in the overriding interest of proper administration that Members are made aware of the performance of the Community Safety Partnership. 

Members were asked to consider if the item relating to the Community Safety Partnership, (Document “U” containing Not for Publication Appendix 2) should be considered in the absence of the public and, if so, to approve the following recommendation:

Resolved –

That the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of Appendix 2 of Document “U” containing Not for Publication information relating to any action taken or to be taken in connection with the prevention, investigation or prosecution of crime, because information would be disclosed which is considered to be exempt information within paragraph 7 (Prevention, Investigation or Prosecution of Crime) of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

It was considered that, in all the circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information as it was in the overriding interest of proper administration that Members were made aware of the performance of the Community Safety Partnership. 

The Chair of the District Community Safety Partnership, will present a report, (Document “U”containing Not for Publication Appendix 2) providing details of the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) performance report for the 12 months to 30^th June 2021 and presents the annual CSP Delivery Plan.

Recommended –

Members are asked to consider the Plan on a Page and the performance data contained within the report.

(Michael Churley – 01274 431364)

The Chair of the District Community Safety Partnership, presented a report, (Document “U” containing Not for Publication Appendix 2) providing details of the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) performance report for the 12 months to 30th June 2021 and presenting the annual CSP Delivery Plan.

Resolved –

1.    The Committee would like to thank all partners for the continuous work in this very important area.

2.    This Committee requests that Quarterly Performance Reports, which include a RAG rating, be presented to the Committee.

(Michael Churley – 01274 431364)

The Strategic Director Place will submit a report (Document “T”) which aims to inform the committee of the key role of the hackney carriage and private hire service, what its responsibilities are and how it carries out those responsibilities.

Recommended –

That Committee is asked to consider and comment on the report. 

(Carol Stos  - 07582 101569)

The Strategic Director, Place, submitted a report, Document “T”, which informed the committee of the key role of the hackney carriage and private hire service, what its responsibilities were and how it carried out those duties.

It was explained that the aim of the Licensing regime was to issue only licences to drivers of good character and with sufficient driving ability and competence. Private Hire Operators should also pose no threat to the public nor should they have any links to criminality.  Vehicles are to be of a sound mechanical condition, be comfortable and clean. They should also meet the requirements of Bradford City’s Clean Air Plan.  

The public should have reasonable access to both hackney carriage and private hire services due to the integral role they play in local transport provision.  

The report outlined licensing policy and delegated powers and it was explained that some legislation was dated and preceded mobile communications.  Department for Transport (DfT) had issued guidance in July 2020 requiring Councils to review their policies to meet statutory standards and a link to the DfT Standards report was included in Document “T”.   It was reported that the service had begun engagement with the trade and a report, with recommendations, would be provided to the Regulatory and Appeals Committee in the next year. 

Details of the functions of the service provided a distinction between Hackney Carriage and Private Hire and a guide to the roles, responsibilities and legislation for personnel involved with Hackney Carriage and Private Hire were appended to Document “T”.

Statistics on the number of licences, vehicles and operators in the district was provided together with the current structure of the service.  The report revealed a Customer Charter which had been developed and set out customer and service performance to which the service must adhere.  Included in that charter were standards to provide excellent customer service; deliver prompt responses to contacts, renewals and new driver applications.  Licensing process statistics for the period 1 April 2021 to 31 October 2021 were provided. 

The rationale for instigating regular trade meetings was discussed and the impacts of the COVID pandemic on the trade was report.  Document T concluded with a summary of challenges faced by the service in the future including challenges faced from changes to conditions in order to meet the requirements of the DfT statutory guidance.  It was confirmed that condition changes would be presented to the Regulatory and Appeals Committee in 2022.

Following a very detailed presentation Members raised a number of questions to which the following response were provided:

·         A driver suitability policy across West Yorkshire and York would be in place within a few months.

·         A national register of revocations allowed the service to check the history of new applicants or for renewals of licences.  The DfT standards aimed to tighten that register allowing the service to check driver cautions and take action.  If a driver appeared on that register they would not necessarily be refused a licence as all applications were decided  ...  view the full minutes text for item 49.

The Chair of the Committee will submit a report (Document “V”) which presents the Committee’s work programme for 2021/22.

Recommended –

(1)  That Members consider if they wish to choose to add to or amend the topics included in the 2021-22 work programme.

(2)  That Members consider any detailed scrutiny reviews that they may wish to consider.

(Mustansir Butt – 01274 432574)

The Chair of the Committee submitted a report (Document “V”) which presented the Committee’s work programme for 2021/22.

The Overview and Scrutiny Lead reminded Members that at the meeting on Tuesday 16 February 2021 the Committee had considered West Yorkshire Devolution and recommended that future updates be provided.  Officers from Bradford Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority were in attendance at that time and members of the Regeneration and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee were also invited to that meeting. 

Members were advised that the Overview and Scrutiny Lead would be inviting officers from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, along with the Mayor of West Yorkshire, to attend a meeting of the Committee in the New Year.  That meeting would be to scrutinise the work undertaken to date and the impact and outcomes that this has had for the residents of the Bradford District.  As previously, members of the Regeneration and Environment Overview and Scrutiny would also be invited to that meeting.

It was explained that an invitation had also been sent to Members to a meeting on 6 January with strategic partners to discuss domestic violence and Members were urged to attend if possible.

The Chair requested that Members contact the Overview and Scrutiny Lead about any issues they would like to be included on the work programme.

No resolution was passed on this item.