Councillor I Lewis declared a personal interest in this matter by virtue of him having previously presented a petition to Council.

The Director of Law, HR and Asset Management reported upon the results of an independent study of supply and demand for Hackney Carriage Vehicles in Wirral.

Committee Members were requested to consider the conclusions and recommendations contained in the Study Report and specifically the principle finding that there was no evidence of unmet demand for Hackney Carriage Vehicles in Wirral.

Ms Kearney attended the meeting to give an overview of the report and respond to questions from Members and representatives from the hackney carriage trade.

It was moved by Councillor I Lewis and seconded by Councillor C Blakeley that -

“(1)  the Committee notes the conclusions and recommendations of the Halcrow Study Report;

(2)  the Director of Law, HR and Asset Management be authorised to draft and prepare (in consultation with the Chair of the Licensing, Health and Safety and General Purposes Committee) all documentation necessary to undertake a 12 week public consultation exercise on all four options set out within the Committee report and Halcrow Study Report;

(3)  the Director of Law, HR and Asset Management (in consultation with the Chair of the Licensing, Health and Safety and General Purposes Committee) be authorised to include, in the documentation referred to in recommendation 2 above, such information and details as are considered necessary to enable effective public consultation to take place on the four options set out within the Committee report and Halcrow Study Report;

(4)  the Director of Law, HR and Asset Management be requested to present a further report to this Committee in relation to this subject matter, which shall include the outcome of the public consultation undertaken;

(5)  the Director of Law, HR and Asset Management submit a further report to this Committee with proposals to promote and publicise the range of wheelchair accessible vehicles available for pre booking together with information regarding the type of vehicle; and

(6)  any further applications received for a Hackney Carriage Licence shall be deferred pending the outcome of the consultation and decision by this Committee.”

Councillor J Salter moved an addition to the motion which was accepted by the mover as a friendly amendment to part (6) of the motion, that -

“any new applications for a Hackney Carriage Licence shall be deferred pending the outcome of the consultation and decision by this Committee.”

The motion was put and lost (5:6 on the Chair’s casting vote).

It was then moved by Councillor B Davies and seconded by Councillor P Glasman that -

“(1)  the Committee notes the conclusions and recommendations of the Halcrow Study Report;

(2)  the Director of Law, HR and Asset Management be authorised to draft and prepare (in consultation with the Chair of the Licensing, Health and Safety and General Purposes Committee) all documentation necessary to undertake a 12 week public consultation exercise on all four options set out within the Committee report and Halcrow Study Report;

(3)  the Director of Law, HR and Asset Management (in consultation with the Chair of the Licensing, Health and Safety and General Purposes Committee) be authorised to include, in the documentation referred to in recommendation 2 above, such information and details as are considered necessary to enable effective public consultation to take place on the four options set out within the Committee report and Halcrow Study Report;

(4)  the Director of Law, HR and Asset Management be requested to present a further report to this Committee by the end of January 2010 in relation to this subject matter, which shall include the outcome of the public consultation undertaken; and

(5)  the Director of Law, HR and Asset Management submit a further report to this Committee with proposals to promote and publicise the range of wheelchair accessible vehicles available for pre booking together with information regarding the type of vehicle.”

The motion was put and carried (10:0).

Resolved (10:0) - That

(1)  the Committee notes the conclusions and recommendations of the Halcrow Study Report;

(2)  the Director of Law, HR and Asset Management be authorised to draft and prepare (in consultation with the Chair of the Licensing, Health and Safety and General Purposes Committee) all documentation necessary to undertake a 12 week public consultation exercise on all four options set out within the Committee report and Halcrow Study Report;

(3)  the Director of Law, HR and Asset Management (in consultation with the Chair of the Licensing, Health and Safety and General Purposes Committee) be authorised to include, in the documentation referred to in recommendation 2 above, such information and details as are considered necessary to enable effective public consultation to take place on the four options set out within the Committee report and Halcrow Study Report;

(4)  the Director of Law, HR and Asset Management be requested to present a further report to this Committee by the end of January 2012 in relation to this subject matter, which shall include the outcome of the public consultation undertaken; and

(5)  the Director of Law, HR and Asset Management submit a further report to this Committee with proposals to promote and publicise the range of wheelchair accessible vehicles available for pre booking together with information regarding the type of vehicle.