Redditch Borough Council is considering whether or not to permanently delegate certain decisions about the licensing of taxi and private hire vehicles to Licensing Officers.

For the last 12 months until August this year Licensing Officers have temporarily been working with Crossgates Depot engineers to determine hackney carriage and private hire vehicle applications where the vehicle does not meet the council’s policy in respect of the age of the vehicle. 

The current policy states that when a licence holder wishes to renew their licence to use a vehicle as a taxi or private hire vehicle and that vehicle exceeds the maximum age limit for such vehicles that the Council has set out in its policy, the decision on whether to grant the application is made by three Councillors sitting together as a Licensing Sub-Committee.

When deciding on these individual applications, the starting point for the Licensing Sub-Committee is that the application should be refused unless the vehicle is of such an exceptional standard as to justify a departure from the Council’s policy.

During the last 12 months, these decisions were delegated to Licensing Officers and consideration is now being given as to whether to make those temporary arrangements permanent. 

If this change was to be made, Licensing Officers would inspect the relevant vehicle at Crossgates Depot in Redditch using an appointment system.

Before any decisions are taken, the Council would like to hear views on this matter from relevant stakeholders, including those to whom the Council has issued taxi and private hire licences.  This survey has been created to provide for this.

The survey will remain open for responses until Tuesday 18th November 2025.  

The responses to this survey will be considered by the Council's Licensing Committee before any final decisions are reached regarding this matter.