Agenda and minutes

To elect a Chairman of the Regulatory Committee for the municipal year 2023/2024.

RESOLVED that Cllr J Cairney be elected as Chairman of the Regulatory Committee for the municipal year 2023/2024.

(Proposed by Cllr J Buczkowski and seconded by Cllr F J Colthorpe)

To elect a Vice Chairman of the Regulatory Committee for the municipal year 2023/2024.

RESOLVED that Cllr A Cuddy be elected as Vice Chairman of the Regulatory Committee for the municipal year 2023/2024

(Proposed by Cllr S Chenore and seconded by Cllr A Glover)

To agree a start time for the Regulatory Committee for the municipal year 2023/2024.

It was AGREED that the start time of meetings for the remainder of the municipal year continue to be at 11.30am or on the rising of the proceeding of the Licensing Committee whichever is sooner.

To receive any apologies for absence and notices of appointment of Substitute Members (if any).

Apologies were received from Cllr C Adcock – Cllr J Buczkowski attended as his substitute.  Cllr M Farrell – Cllr A Glover attended as his substitute and Cllr J Frost – Cllr F Letch attended as his substitute.

To record any interests on agenda matters.

There were no declarations of interest received.

To receive any questions relating to items on the agenda from members of the public and replies thereto.

Note:  A maximum of 30 minutes is allowed for this item.

There were no members of the public present and no questions were asked.

To consider whether to approve the minutes as a correct record of the meeting held on 26 August 2022.

The minutes of the 26 August 2022 were APPROVED and signed by the Chairman.

To receive an update from the Corporate Manager for Public Health, Regulation and Housing.

The Committee had before it, and NOTED, the Service Update.

The contents of the report were outlined by the Team Leader, Commercial, Public Health who highlighted the key points referred to as follows:

·         The report provided an overview of the total number of licences currently active for Hackney Carriage Vehicles, Private Hire Vehicles, Private Hire Operators and Combined Driver Licences within Mid Devon.  The Council had a total of 125 licenced vehicles which would last for 1 year and a total of 129 driver licences which could be for either 1 or 3 years depending upon what the applicant had applied for.

·         The Council had a range of different animal establishments within the District -  43 in total ranging from cat/dog boarding, home boarding, day care, breeding of dogs, exhibition of animals, pet shops and horses for riding establishments.   There had been 22 new and/or renewed applications for animal inspections in the last year.  Each required an inspection which had been carried out by an external contractor on the Council’s behalf.  The Service was currently looking to provide its Licencing Officer with the relevant training so that this service could be carried out in-house.  The Service was also looking to introduce interim inspections of the establishments which did not have to be undertaken by an officer qualified at the same level.

·         Work was carried out last year for the new legislation that came in 2021 which introduced the requirement for the manager of residential caravan sites to be considered as a fit and proper person.   The Service currently had 45 sites within the District, 30 of which were touring sites. 

·         There were a total of 134 licences for the beauty industry which included tattooing, piercing and electrolysis.

·         The Health and Care Act 2022 would be introducing a licencing scheme for other non-surgical cosmetic procedures that the Council currently did not licence.

·         There had been one Sub-Committee Hearing relating to a new driver application for dual Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licence as a result of the driver having 2 speed convictions.  The licence had been issued following consideration by the Sub-Committee.

·         The Review of the Mid Devon District Council Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle Policy was currently underway.  It would look at the introduction of the National Register for Refusals, Revocations and Suspensions (NR3) which now required the Council to check the data base to ensure that the applicant was not on that data base.  If they were then the Council could approach the Local Authority to provide further information.  The Council was also required to provide certain information to that register in the event of refusal, revocation or suspension.

·         Mobile Homes and Fit and Proper Person requirement and fee policy which was set locally would need to be reviewed.

Meeting finished at 11.55am.