Proposed Fees for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicles and Private Hire Operator's Licences 2025/26
Have your say.
Consultation status Results publishedActivity closed. Results published.
Background
In accordance with Section 70 (1) of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, the Council is required to undertake a statutory 28-day consultation when variations to hackney carriage and private hire vehicles and private hire operator's fees are proposed.
The legislation states that: "...a district council may charge such fees for the grant of vehicle and operators' licences as may be resolved by them from time to time and as may be sufficient in the aggregate to cover in whole or in part:
(a) the reasonable cost of the carrying out by, or on behalf of the district council of inspections of hackney carriages and private hire vehicles for the purpose of determining whether any such licence should be granted or renewed;
(b) the reasonable cost of providing hackney carriage stands; and
(c) any reasonable administrative or other costs in connection with the foregoing and with the control and supervision of hackney carriages and private hire vehicles."
In December 2017, the Joint Public Protection Committee (JPPC) agreed that, as a matter of principle, all fees and charges should be set on the basis of full cost recovery, so as not to create a surplus or deficit.
The JPPC is required by the Inter-Authority Agreement (IAA) that set up the Public Protection Partnership (PPP) shared service, to recommend a draft set of fees and charges to each of the member Councils (Bracknell Forest and West Berkshire). The proposed fees for 2025/26 were discussed at the JPPC meeting held on Friday, 11 October 2024.
The proposed fees were considered by Members at the Licensing Committee meeting held on Monday, 4 November 2024.
The Licensing Committee agreed that save for the hackney carriage and private hire vehicles and private hire operator's fees, all of the Public Protection Partnership Fees and Charges fees for 2025/26 would go forward for consideration as part of the council's fee setting process, with the final determination to be made at the Full Council meeting on Thursday, 27 February 2025.
The hackney carriage and private hire vehicles and private hire operator's fees would be subjected to the statutory consultation process.
What we are proposing
It is proposed to increase the hourly rate from £67p/h to £69p/h for 2025/26 (an increase of 3%).
The proposed fees are set out in full below:
Hackney Carriage (Taxi) and Private Hire Vehicle Licence | |
|---|---|
| Hackney Carriage Vehicle new / renewal | £310.50 / £276 |
| Private Hire Vehicle new / renewal | £310.50 / £276 |
| Private Hire Vehicle with dispensation / renewal | £310.50 / £276 |
| Temporary Vehicle Licence (issued up to 3 months maximum) | £276 |
| Private Hire Operator Licence | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number of vehicles | New | Renewal |
| 1 | £517.50 | £379.50 |
| 2 | £603.75 | £465.75 |
| 3 | £690 | £552 |
| 4 | £776.25 | £638.25 |
| 5 | £862.50 | £724.50 |
| 6 | £948.75 | £810.75 |
| 7 | £1035 | £897 |
| 8 | £1121.25 | £983.25 |
| 9 | £1207.50 | £1069.50 |
| 10 | £1293.75 | £1155.75 |
| 11 | £1380 | £1242 |
| 12 | £1466.25 | £1328.25 |
| 13 | £1552.50 | £1414.50 |
| 14 | £1638.75 | £1500.75 |
| 15 | £1725 | £1587 |
| 16 | £1811.25 | £1673.25 |
| 17 | £1897.50 | £1759.50 |
| 18 | £1983.75 | £1845.75 |
| 19 | £2070 | £1932 |
| 20 | £2156.25 | £2018.25 |
| 20 plus | £2156.25 | £2018.25 |
| Variation to licence | £69 | £69 |
How to take part
Comments were accepted by email to PPPConsultations@westberks.gov.uk or by post to Mr Sean Murphy, Public Protection Manager, Public Protection Partnership, Theale Library, Church Street, Theale, Berkshire RG7 5BZ until midnight on Thursday, 19 December 2024.
If you have any questions about the consultation, please email our Public Protection team at PPPConsultations@westberks.gov.uk
For general enquiries about Taxi and private hire licences, please visit our webpage.
What happens next
If no objections are received, or any such objections are subsequently withdrawn, the revised fees will come into operation for any licences commencing from Tuesday, 1 April 2025.
If objections are received, and not subsequently withdrawn the matter will be considered by the Licensing Committee at the meeting on Monday, 20 January 2025, and any changes will be recommended to Full Council for approval at their meeting on Thursday, 27 February 2025. Any variations to the fees will come into operation from Tuesday, 1 April 2025 onwards.
What you told us
You can view/download a summary of the responses received here.
What we did
Members agreed at the Licensing Committee Monday, 4 November 2024 that if any objections to the hackney carriage and private hire vehicles and private hire operator’s fees were received, they be considered by the Committee at the meeting on Monday, 20 January 2025 and that any ensuing changes would then be recommended to full Council for approval. Council will discuss and agree the fees and charges at the meeting on Thursday, 27 February 2025.
As objections have been received, a discussion will take place at the Licensing Committee meeting on Monday, 20 January 2025, where Members will be asked to recommend that Full Council adopt the fees, with or without modification, as part of the annual fee setting process and that these fees come into effect as of the 1 April 2025.
The trade will be kept informed throughout the process.
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