Agenda, decisions and minutes

The agenda and reports associated with this minute can be found at:-

https://committees.aberdeencity.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=149&MId=4349&Ver=4

 

Please note that if any changes are made to this minute at the point of approval, these will be outlined in the subsequent minute and this document will not be retrospectively altered.

The Convener proposed that the Committee suspend Standing Order 37.2 (Length of Meetings) to enable the meeting to continue beyond four hours.

 

The Committee resolved:

to agree to suspend Standing Order 37.2 (Length of Meetings).

Members were requested to intimate any declarations of interest in respect of the items on today’s agenda.

 

Thereafter, the following declarations of interest were intimated:

    (i)        Councillor Imrie declared an interest in relation to items 6.7 to 6.10 (all applications for  street trader licences), by virtue of her intention to apply for a street trader licence in the near future, and withdrew from the meeting prior to consideration of these items;

  (ii)        Councillor Delaney declared an interest in relation to item 6.25 (Application for the Renewal of a Private Hire Car Driver’s Licence – Sheila Moffat) by virtue of knowing the applicant, and withdrew from the meeting prior to consideration of this item;

 (iii)        Councillor Henrickson declared an interest in relation to item 7.3 (Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975 as amended – General Safety Certificate Pittodrie Certificate) by virtue of being a shareholder of Aberdeen Football Club, but did not feel it necessary to withdraw during consideration of the item;

 (iv)        Councillors Allan and Graham declared an interest in relation to item 7.1 (Accessible Vehicle Policy Update) by virtue of being members of Unite and there being a deputation from Mr Campbell, Unite, neither Councillor felt it necessary to withdraw during consideration of the item;

  (v)        Councillor Malik declared an interest in relation to items 6.13 (Application for the Grant of a Taxi Driver’s Licence – Umar Farooq) and 8.9 (Application for the Renewal of a Taxi Driver’s Licence) by virtue of knowing the applicants, and withdrew from the meeting prior to consideration of both of these items; and

 (vi)        The Vice Convener and Councillor Townson declared an interest in relation to item 8.9 (Application for the Renewal of a Taxi Driver’s Licence) by virtue of knowing the applicant through previous court proceedings, and both withdrew from the meeting prior to consideration of this item.

The Committee had before it a request for deputation from Mr Tommy Campbell, Unite, in relation to item 7.1 (Accessible Vehicle Policy Update) on the agenda.

 

The Committee noted that the request had been received beyond the deadline required by Standing Orders and therefore the Committee would need to suspend Standing Order 13.1 should it wish to hear the deputation. 

 

The Committee resolved:

to suspend Standing Order 13.1 and thereby to agree to hear the deputation from Mr Campbell in relation to item 7.1 (Accessible Vehicle Policy Update) prior to consideration of the report.

The Committee had before it the minute of its meeting of 18 April 2017.

 

The Committee resolved:

to approve the minute as a correct record.

The Committee had before it the minutes of the meetings of the Licensing Urgent Business Sub Committee of 13 and 27 April 2017.

 

The Committee resolved:

to approve the minutes as a correct record.

 

The Committee had before it a statement of Committee Business prepared by the Head of Legal and Democratic Services.

 

The Committee resolved:

    (i)        to delete items 2 (Review of Accessible Vehicles Policy) and 4 (Taxi Ranks), subject to the decisions taken later on the agenda; and

  (ii)        to otherwise note the updates contained in the statement.

The Committee had before it a tracker of future committee business.

 

The Committee resolved:

to note the information contained in the committee report tracker.

The Committee had before it, for its consideration, the applications listed in Appendix A to this minute.

 

The Committee resolved:

that all applications be determined on the basis shown in Appendix A and that all licences were subject to the Council’s standard conditions unless otherwise stated.

(A) In terms of Standing Order 13.1, the Committee received a deputation from Mr Campbell, Unite.

 

Mr Campbell advised that Unite the Unions position in respect of the Council’s Accessible Vehicle Policy remained the same as that presented in May 2012, namely it did not accept that a 100% accessible vehicle taxi fleet was required as in their view demand for accessible vehicles was met by the existing number of accessible taxis in Aberdeen at this time.

 

He recommended that the Committee review the current policy and whether a 100% accessible vehicle taxi fleet was required.

 

(B)       With reference to (1) article 7 of the minute of the meeting of the Licensing Committee of 18 April 2017; and (2) article 12 of the minute of the meeting of Council of 11 May 2016, the Committee had before it a report by the Head of Legal and Democratic Services which provided details of the responses received from the UK Government and Dundee City Council in connection with the Accessible Vehicle Policy.

 

The report recommended –

that the Committee note the terms of the responses received from the UK Government and Dundee City Council.

 

The Committee resolved:

    (i)        to note the report; and

  (ii)        to instruct the Head of Legal and Democratic Services to submit a report to the Committee’s meeting on 12 September 2017, outlining the process, including public and trade consultation, of revisiting the Council’s current accessible vehicle policy, and that this report also detail the legal and financial implications of any change.

With reference to article 5 of the minute of the meeting of the Licensing Committee of 25 October 2016, the Committee had before it a report by the Head of Legal and Democratic Services which provided information in relation to the Taxi Rank Review.

 

The report recommended –

that the Committee

(a)          note the updated information in relation to the taxi rank review; and

(b)          instruct the Head of Legal and Democratic Services to incorporate the review of taxi rank provision within the taxi demand survey to be carried out and reported to Committee by June 2018.

 

The Committee resolved:

to approve the recommendations.

The Committee had before it a report by the Head of Legal and Democratic Services which sought approval of the adoption of the General Safety Certificate issued to Aberdeen Football Club Plc annexed as Appendix 1 to the report.

 

The report recommended –

that the Committee approve the General Safety Certificate June 2017 to be issued to Aberdeen Football Club Plc.

 

The Committee resolved:

to approve the recommendation.

The Committee had before it a report by the Head of Legal and Democratic Services which sought the re-establishment of sub-committees and working groups under the Committee’s remit and requested that appointments to the sub-committees and working groups re-established be made.

 

The report recommended –

that the Committee

(a)          note the compositions for the sub-committees and working groups detailed at section 3.2 of the report as approved by Council on 17 May 2017;

(b)          agree to re-establish and appoint members to the sub-committees and advisory group listed at section 3.1 of the report in accordance with the agreed compositions; and

(c)          agree to re-establish and appoint members to the Taxi Consultation Group as detailed at section 3.6 of the report, pending the review of the remit, governance and membership of the Taxi Consultation Group being undertaken by the Head of Legal and Democratic Services as requested by the Committee and which would be reported to the Committee at its meeting on 12 September 2017.

 

The Committee resolved:

to approve the recommendations.

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

 

The press and public were excluded from the meeting for consideration of the following items which contained confidential information in terms of Section 50A 3(b) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.

The Committee had before it, for its consideration, the applications listed in Appendix B to this minute.

 

The Committee resolved:

that all applications be determined on the basis shown in Appendix B and that all licences were subject to the Council’s standard conditions unless otherwise stated.

- COUNCILLOR JOHN REYNOLDS, Convener.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

APPENDIX A

 

 

1.            GRANT OF A LICENCE FOR A HOUSE IN MULTIPLE OCCUPATION

Premises – 5 Kincorth Crescent, Aberdeen

Application Reference Number – 6/1

 

The Committee was advised that the HMO licence had been granted under delegated powers.

 

 

2.            GRANT OF A LICENCE FOR A HOUSE IN MULTIPLE OCCUPATION

Premises - 15 Elmfield Avenue, Aberdeen

Application Reference Number – 6/2

 

The Committee was advised that the HMO licence had been granted under delegated powers.

 

 

3.            GRANT OF A LICENCE FOR A HOUSE IN MULTIPLE OCCUPATION

Premises - 39 Great Northern Road, Aberdeen

Application Reference Number – 6/3

 

The Committee was advised that the HMO licence had been granted under delegated powers.

 

 

4.            GRANT OF A LICENCE FOR A HOUSE IN MULTIPLE OCCUPATION

Premises - 130 Great Northern Road, Aberdeen

Application Reference Number – 6/4

 

The Committee was advised that the HMO licence had been granted under delegated powers.

 

 

5.            GRANT OF A LICENCE FOR A HOUSE IN MULTIPLE OCCUPATION

Premises – 39 Garthdee Gardens, Aberdeen

Application Reference Number – 6/5

 

The Committee was advised that the HMO licence had been granted under delegated powers.

 

 

6.            RENEWAL OF A LICENCE FOR A HOUSE IN MULTIPLE OCCUPATION

Premises - 77-79 Bon Accord Street, Aberdeen

Application Reference Number – 6/6

 

The Committee was advised that the HMO licence had been granted under delegated powers.

 

7.            APPLICATION FOR THE GRANT OF A STREET TRADER'S LICENCE – KEVIN CARR

Location – South Esplanade West, north side, 225 metres west of Victoria Road

Application Reference Number – 6/7

 

The Committee was advised that the application had been withdrawn.

 

 

DECLARATION OF INTEREST

 

In accordance with article 2 of this minute, Councillor Imrie left the meeting prior to consideration of the following item of business.

 

8.            APPLICATION FOR THE RENEWAL OF A STREET TRADER'S LICENCE – ALLAN MOULE

Location – Whitemyres Avenue, north side, 202 metres west of Whitemyres Place

Application Reference Number – 6/8

 

The Committee had before it an information sheet prepared by the Head of Legal and Democratic Services in respect of the application.

 

The applicant, Mr Allan Moule, was in attendance. The Committee heard from Mr Moule in support of the application. 

 

The Committee asked questions of the applicant. 

 

The Committee resolved:

to defer consideration of the application to enable a food safety certificate to be received, after which time the Head of Legal and Democratic Services could grant the application under delegated powers, or otherwise refer it to a special meeting of the Committee for consideration.

 

 

9.            APPLICATION FOR THE RENEWAL OF A STREET TRADER'S LICENCE – LEON GRANT

Location – Howemoss Drive, east side, 20 metres north of Howemoss Place

Application Reference Number – 6/9

 

The Committee was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.