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Licensing Sub-Committee (Taxis, Private Hire, and Street Trading Consent Matters)
Thursday, 20th August 2026 at 2:00pm

 
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  1. Councillor Ian Watson
  2. Councillor David Fowles
  3. Councillor Michael Vann
  4. Councillor Ian Watson
  5. Councillor Ian Watson
  6. Legal Services
  7. Nickie Mackenzie-Daste, Officer
  8. Officer
  9. Officer
  10. Councillor Ian Watson
  11. Nickie Mackenzie-Daste, Officer
  12. Nickie Mackenzie-Daste, Officer
  13. Councillor David Fowles
  14. Councillor Ian Watson
  15. Officer
  16. Councillor Ian Watson
  17. Councillor David Fowles
  18. Officer
  19. Councillor Ian Watson
  20. Officer
  21. Councillor Ian Watson
  22. Applicant/Agent
  23. Councillor Ian Watson
  24. Applicant/Agent
  25. Councillor Ian Watson
  26. Councillor David Fowles
  27. Councillor Ian Watson
  28. Councillor David Fowles
  29. Officer
  30. Councillor Ian Watson
  31. Councillor Ian Watson
  32. Applicant/Agent
  33. Councillor Ian Watson
  34. Councillor Ian Watson
  35. Applicant/Agent
  36. Webcast Finished

Councillor Ian Watson - 0:00:27
Good afternoon.
to you and for the people who may be listening or watching online. To today's licencing
meeting, we are here to discuss a pre -application proposed for a private hire vehicle. This
panel will judge the case on the four licencing objectives, that is the prevention of crime
and Disorder, Public Safety, the Prevention of Public Nuisance,
and the Protection of Children from Harm.
We do understand that we've got a very small child with us,
and if you need any time for any reason, just put your hand up
and we'll break proceedings and continue when you come back.
So just let us know that.
Thank you.
So I will be chairing the meeting tonight.
I've sat here with three colleagues and starting with David if you'd like to introduce yourself David
Councillor David Fowles - 0:01:35
Afternoon I've already said later you're outside
My name is councillor David fowls and I represent
The Cone Valley which is basically from frost bridge through to Leche laid along the valley including
Bybury and Quenington and places like that. Thank you
Councillor Michael Vann - 0:01:56
Michael Van, I represent Fairford North.
Councillor Ian Watson - 0:02:01
Ian Watson and I represent the Tepe Town Ward.
Councillor Ian Watson - 0:02:06
I'd like to hand over now to our officers.
Marie, maybe I can start with you and we'll work round.
Legal Services - 0:02:15
Good afternoon, my name is Marie Barnes, I'm Legal Advisor to this committee.
Nickie Mackenzie-Daste, Officer - 0:02:23
Good afternoon, I am Nicky Mackenzie Dast, Senior Democratic Services Officer.
Officer - 0:02:29
Good afternoon, Kevin Dunford, Licencing Officer for the Cotswold District.
Officer - 0:02:35
Good afternoon, Emma Sparks, Licencing Officer for this district.
Councillor Ian Watson - 0:02:42
We also have a work experience person with us today who is here to learn.
What I would like to do at this stage is ask the licencing officer to introduce the pre -application.
Kevin, if you are ready.
I need apologies.
Oh, sorry. I have got to go.
Nickie Mackenzie-Daste, Officer - 0:03:06
Nikki, if I can go to you first for apologies.
We have apologies from Councillor Julia Judd and Councillor Ray Brasington.
Nickie Mackenzie-Daste, Officer - 0:03:19
There are no substitute members.
Councillor David Fowles - 0:03:29
As with planning, call it a three? Yes.
Licencing, not planning. Okay.
Councillor Ian Watson - 0:03:40
In that case, Kevin, if I could hand over to you to start us off.
Officer - 0:03:48
Thank you, Chair. This hearing is being held to consider the pre -application proposal
by Adam and Luanna McLeod -Brown for a private hire vehicle licence and determine if a licence
for the proposed vehicle would be granted. The pre -application proposal has been referred
to the Licencing Subcommittee for determination as the vehicle departs from the age limit
and is not deemed to fall under the list of exempt vehicles as detailed in Section 5 .2
of the policy. It's understood that the applicant would want the vehicle to be
considered within the elite category given the vehicle is no longer in
production. May I draw your attention to the Hackney carriage and private hire
policy that states that the council has the responsibility to regulate and
control all operators, drivers and vehicles used for carrying passengers
for hire and reward within the Cotswold district under the provision of the
Town Police Clause Act 1847 and the local government miscellaneous
Provisions Act 1976. In setting out its policy the council seeks to promote the
following objectives. A the safety safety and health of drivers and the public. B
the vehicle safety comforts and access and C to prevent crime disorder and
protect the public. The specific section of the policy where this is detailed is
within the report at section 2 .4. I'd like to make members aware that on
sentence 9 of the policy excerpt. Number 17 is detailed, which is an error and is
not part of section 5 .2 policy, where we were taking it from the policy to the
report. Unfortunately it brought it across with a copy and paste. That's
referring to a page number of the policy, so it's not actually part of that
section. The options for consideration by the subcommittee are to approve the
proposal as requested to approve the proposals subject to conditions that are necessary to promote the objectives
Or to refuse the proposal in whole or in part where necessary to promote the objectives
Thank you chair. Nothing further to add
Councillor Ian Watson - 0:05:57
Thank you before I ask for questions
I'd like to ask if the council's have got any declarations of interest in this case
Thank you very much. Does the panel have any questions for the officer?
David, go ahead, please.
Councillor David Fowles - 0:06:27
There are lots of dates and numbers of years. How old actually is the vehicle?
Just is it actually I couldn't find it on there. Just wonder when you're referring to five to just
Because it's for its exempt. Well. Sorry. It's not one of the exempt vehicles
I mean it looks fantastic in the photographs, but I don't know
How old it is?
Page 11 sorry
15, 16.
So it's...
2015, 2016.
Officer - 0:07:01
It's 2015, 2016.
Yes, so the vehicle age is detailed within the policy in their business proposal.
Yeah, so with regards to section 5 .2, detailing the ages.
So it's within that 15 year cut off.
New vehicle is applied for must be five years or younger under the normal setup
for a private hire vehicle. Once they reach the age of 15 they would not be
able to renew that licence. It would have to be a new vehicle. Now the proposal is
that this is considered under the elite section. That is for Rolls -Royce elite
vehicles or anything similar is what we state in the policy. So it'd be
it would be exempt from the age policy altogether, meaning the five and 15 years old would not
apply to this vehicle.
Thank you, David. Anything else?
Councillor Ian Watson - 0:08:03
Ben Kevin, if I might ask you to introduce the applicants.
Officer - 0:08:12
of course we have here with us today Luana McLeod -Brown and Adam McLeod -Brown.
Councillor Ian Watson - 0:08:27
Perhaps if you could give us an overview of your application about what you want to do.
Applicant/Agent - 0:08:32
Yes, so we are seeking a licence for a Land Rover Defender is the vehicle that we are
seeking to licence. We are intending to use it as part of our tour business. So the plan
is to use the vehicle to provide a small private tours across the Cotswolds. We understand
of course that it's more than five years old, as has been correctly stated, it's no longer
being manufactured. Since we actually put this application in, we have
identified the specific car now. It's a 2014 year, so that's when it was
manufactured. It fits the specifications that we have detailed within our
application, so it's a seven seater. The specifications are the same, but we now
have the specific car, so it's a 2014. But yes, we're seeking the licence to
have it considered as an elite vehicle so that we can continue to use it as part of
our business.
Councillor Ian Watson - 0:09:43
I will go to our members. I have got a question straight up and then Michael David, you can
be aware. You are currently just seeking a pre -application for the vehicle and not a
driver. Is there a reason for that?
Applicant/Agent - 0:10:04
Do you mean in terms of the driver licence? Yes. So we decided to do the pre -application
first to see if that would be granted and then go ahead with the operator's licence
and the driver licence that we know we will also require as well.
Thank you very much.
Councillor Ian Watson - 0:10:24
David, Michael, do you have any questions?
Councillor David Fowles - 0:10:31
questions. I was about to ask the same question in relation
to pre‑app advice. You have clarified that. This is the first stage. Obviously the next
stage.
Yeah.
Councillor Ian Watson - 0:10:43
We have no public speakers.
No other parties.
Moving on.
At this point, we have no other parties, we have no objectors or anything.
We would ask you to sum up, but I think we've just had that.
I don't think we need another summing up of the case.
Can I just ask a bit of clarification from the officer?
Yeah, please go ahead.
Councillor David Fowles - 0:11:33
If we ground this, what then happens?
Is there a period of time that before they then provide you with an operator's licence
or what's the process from here on in after today?
Officer - 0:11:54
Depending on what, if you were in mind to grant then obviously we would send out a decision
letter.
They would keep hold of that paperwork.
They are entitled to apply for a vehicle licence immediately.
We normally recommend within the team not to necessarily go ahead and do that immediately just because there are other things to put in place
Operate a licence driver licence. There are certain things
time -wise
That take time for a driver licence booking medicals getting DBS enhanced cheques
completed safeguarding certificates, which you need to take part of
Gloucestershire County Council, there's certain requirements for a driver that need to happen knowledge tests. They need to take place
If you fail that you need to obviously retake. So there's certain things that can hold up a driver application
and obviously if you apply for a vehicle licence
then that could be eating into that licence time and therefore extra costs. You want to try and line them up best you can together.
So we would propose that they would retain the decision letter from today
depending on what that was and if they're in a position to then they would apply for the vehicle licence producing that
demonstrating they've gone through this process to
consider it and clarify that it is an elite vehicle.
It's still the vehicle itself going on from this,
if it was approved, would still be subject
to the same cheques that all other vehicles
we have licenced with us are.
So it would need to be renewed each year.
The vehicle would be renewed each year
and every six months there is an MOT cheque
that needs to take place.
Every six months.
Every six months, yes.
But if it was a vehicle under five, it's every year.
But once you go beyond five, it's then subject to six monthly cheques for MOTs.
So even if considered a late vehicle, it still would need to meet those requirements to ensure
safety of passengers and obviously up to road standards.
Councillor Ian Watson - 0:13:55
Thank you, David.
At this point I'm going to ask if you feel satisfied that we can withdraw in a moment
to make a decision on this application?
Councillor Ian Watson - 0:14:06
For the applicants, are there any questions or anything you'd like to hear from officers
Applicant/Agent - 0:14:15
or Councillors at this stage?
No, not at this stage.
Councillor Ian Watson - 0:14:23
The procedure is that we will withdraw to another conference room.
We will come to a decision and return to the chamber and we will let you know that decision.
Anything to add?
No, I don't think so, no.
No, okay. Thank you very much. We hope to see you very soon.
Councillor Ian Watson - 0:15:03
Thank you very much for your patience waiting for us.
Statement from the chair is that the panel is minded to approve to proceed compliant
with the elite vehicles classification in 5 .2 and in line with the lighting principles and subject
to the Hackney carriage and private hire CDC conditions which can be found at the back of
Applicant/Agent - 0:15:50
the guidelines. I'm sure you've seen this but in that I'd like to thank you very much for your
Thank you.
Webcast Finished - 0:15:55
Thank you.