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| How can LA's justify high licensing fees ? http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=23555 |
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| Author: | ozthecoz [ Thu Dec 05, 2013 12:11 pm ] |
| Post subject: | How can LA's justify high licensing fees ? |
My ops license is £256 for 3 years ..... the closest boroughs to mine charge £32/ £31/ £222 / £156 / £146 how come there is so much of a range of prices for providing the same service ? and what (if anything) can be done about it ? I may be off the mark here but does this part of the 1976 act state that it shouldnt be more than £25 ? Quote: 70 Fees for vehicle and operators’ licences. (1)Subject to the provisions of subsection (2) of this section, 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. (2)The fees chargeable under this section shall not exceed— (a)for the grant of a vehicle licence in respect of a hackney carriage, twenty-five pounds; (b)for the grant of a vehicle licence in respect of a private hire vehicle, twenty-five pounds; and (c)for the grant of an operator’s licence, twenty-five pounds per annum; or, in any such case, such other sums as a district council may, subject to the following provisions of this section, from time to time determine. (3)(a)If a district council determine that the maximum fees specified in subsection (2) of this section should be varied they shall publish in at least one local newspaper circulating in the district a notice setting out the variation proposed, drawing attention to the provisions of paragraph (b) of this subsection and specifying the period, which shall not be less than twenty-eight days from the date of the first publication of the notice, within which and the manner in which objections to the variation can be made. (b)A copy of the notice referred to in paragraph (a) of this subsection shall for the period of twenty-eight days from the date of the first publication thereof be deposited at the offices of the council which published the notice and shall at all reasonable hours be open to public inspection without payment. (4)If no objection to a variation is duly made within the period specified in the notice referred to in subsection (3) of this section, or if all objections so made are withdrawn, the variation shall come into operation on the date of the expiration of the period specified in the notice or the date of withdrawal of the objection or, if more than one, of the last objection, whichever date is the later. (5)If objection is duly made as aforesaid and is not withdrawn, the district council shall set a further date, not later than two months after the first specified date, on which the variation shall come into force with or without modification as decided by the district council after consideration of the objections. (6)A district council may remit the whole or part of any fee chargeable in pursuance of this section for the grant of a licence under section 48 or 55 of this Act in any case in which they think it appropriate to do so. Or is it that that was the maximum in 1976 and in such places as its more the council has increased itover the years by pacing the notices in the relevant places etc ? |
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| Author: | grandad [ Thu Dec 05, 2013 1:10 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: How can LA's justify high licensing fees ? |
ozthecoz wrote: or, in any such case, such other sums as a district council may, subject to the following provisions of this section, from time to time determine. That is the bit. |
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| Author: | Sussex [ Thu Dec 05, 2013 11:43 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: How can LA's justify high licensing fees ? |
ozthecoz wrote: My ops license is £256 for 3 years ..... the closest boroughs to mine charge £32/ £31/ £222 / £156 / £146 how come there is so much of a range of prices for providing the same service ? and what (if anything) can be done about it ? I may be off the mark here but does this part of the 1976 act state that it shouldnt be more than £25 ? Ask your council for a breakdown of costs in relation to the operator's license fees. The £25 relates to a fee set by government that can only be changed by the process set out in section 70. I would object to the next increase. |
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| Author: | wannabeeahack [ Fri Dec 06, 2013 11:17 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: How can LA's justify high licensing fees ? |
ozthecoz wrote: My ops license is £256 for 3 years ..... the closest boroughs to mine charge £32/ £31/ £222 / £156 / £146 move LA's with a new hackney plate |
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| Author: | mancityfan [ Sat Dec 07, 2013 2:45 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: How can LA's justify high licensing fees ? |
It would be interested to have details of any ‘best value’ comparison the council has carried out in respect of its licensing functions and how it compares with the authorities it may have used as a ‘benchmark’ By virtue of the Local Government Act 1999 the authority is required to carry out such comparison. You should note the comments of James Button in TAXIS – Licensing Law and Practice. The ability of a council to recover licence fees in relation to Operators appears to be restricted to the flat fee of £25 provided in Section 70(2) c. So basically this is all they can charge. |
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| Author: | Nidge2 [ Thu Dec 12, 2013 6:12 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: How can LA's justify high licensing fees ? |
You need to take a look at ours, they're expensive. |
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| Author: | mancityfan [ Thu Dec 12, 2013 6:07 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: How can LA's justify high licensing fees ? |
Nidge2 wrote: You need to take a look at ours, they're expensive. You need to join a union, your reps are not very good at all. I don't know who is representing you in Ashfield? But I would sack em. Ashfield is way above your nearest authorities, Mansfield and Bolsover are way cheaper,so who have they compared there best value on? |
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| Author: | Sussex [ Fri Dec 13, 2013 1:17 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: How can LA's justify high licensing fees ? |
mancityfan wrote: so who have they compared there best value on? A wild guess, but I would say no one.
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| Author: | gusmac [ Fri Dec 13, 2013 4:09 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: How can LA's justify high licensing fees ? |
mancityfan wrote: Nidge2 wrote: You need to take a look at ours, they're expensive. You need to join a union, your reps are not very good at all. I don't know who is representing you in Ashfield? But I would sack em. Ashfield is way above your nearest authorities, Mansfield and Bolsover are way cheaper,so who have they compared there best value on?
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| Author: | Nidge2 [ Sun Dec 15, 2013 4:07 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: How can LA's justify high licensing fees ? |
mancityfan wrote: Nidge2 wrote: You need to take a look at ours, they're expensive. You need to join a union, your reps are not very good at all. I don't know who is representing you in Ashfield? But I would sack em. Ashfield is way above your nearest authorities, Mansfield and Bolsover are way cheaper,so who have they compared there best value on? They just pluck a figure out of the Sky. I questioned them once about the price of a 3 year badge which is £250 + a CRB every year and a DVLA licence check every year =£370 over the border in Mansfield a 3 year badge is £150. The head of licensing was trying to tell me that Ashfield was on par with Mansfield. He soon changed his mind when I Emailed him a copy of Mansfield's badge fees which clearly shows £150 for a 3 year badge. |
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| Author: | mancityfan [ Sun Dec 15, 2013 4:49 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: How can LA's justify high licensing fees ? |
You need to join a union, your reps are not very good at all. I don't know who is representing you in Ashfield? But I would sack em. Ashfield is way above your nearest authorities, Mansfield and Bolsover are way cheaper,so who have they compared there best value on?[/quote] They just pluck a figure out of the Sky. I questioned them once about the price of a 3 year badge which is £250 + a CRB every year and a DVLA licence check every year =£370 over the border in Mansfield a 3 year badge is £150. The head of licensing was trying to tell me that Ashfield was on par with Mansfield. He soon changed his mind when I Emailed him a copy of Mansfield's badge fees which clearly shows £150 for a 3 year badge.[/quote] Who ever is representing Mansfield? Is doing a very good job, you need him in Ashfield, since there fees have been challenged there has been no increase, and no increase for the next year, surely you must no him? Perhaps for a small fee he will help you. http://www.mansfield.gov.uk/CMADattachm ... tefees.doc |
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| Author: | Nidge2 [ Sun Dec 15, 2013 6:12 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: How can LA's justify high licensing fees ? |
mancityfan wrote: You need to join a union, your reps are not very good at all. I don't know who is representing you in Ashfield? But I would sack em. Ashfield is way above your nearest authorities, Mansfield and Bolsover are way cheaper,so who have they compared there best value on? They just pluck a figure out of the Sky. I questioned them once about the price of a 3 year badge which is £250 + a CRB every year and a DVLA licence check every year =£370 over the border in Mansfield a 3 year badge is £150. The head of licensing was trying to tell me that Ashfield was on par with Mansfield. He soon changed his mind when I Emailed him a copy of Mansfield's badge fees which clearly shows £150 for a 3 year badge.[/quote] Who ever is representing Mansfield? Is doing a very good job, you need him in Ashfield, since there fees have been challenged there has been no increase, and no increase for the next year, surely you must no him? Perhaps for a small fee he will help you. http://www.mansfield.gov.uk/CMADattachm ... tefees.doc[/quote] No one is representing them in Mansfield. They've got a decent Council that's all. |
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| Author: | mancityfan [ Sun Dec 15, 2013 6:35 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: How can LA's justify high licensing fees ? |
They just pluck a figure out of the Sky. I questioned them once about the price of a 3 year badge which is £250 + a CRB every year and a DVLA licence check every year =£370 over the border in Mansfield a 3 year badge is £150. The head of licensing was trying to tell me that Ashfield was on par with Mansfield. He soon changed his mind when I Emailed him a copy of Mansfield's badge fees which clearly shows £150 for a 3 year badge.[/quote] Who ever is representing Mansfield? Is doing a very good job, you need him in Ashfield, since there fees have been challenged there has been no increase, and no increase for the next year, surely you must no him? Perhaps for a small fee he will help you. http://www.mansfield.gov.uk/CMADattachm ... tefees.doc[/quote] No one is representing them in Mansfield. They've got a decent Council that's all.[/quote] Your wrong, this tells me different? Wow no increase since 2007 and a reduction in 2014. Whose representing the Ashfield trade.? Report of Licensing Team Leader To LICENSING COMMITTEE On 13TH MARCH, 2007 LOCAL GOVERNMENT (MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS) ACT 1976 – SECTION 70 – OBJECTION TO PROPOSED INCREASE IN LICENSING FEES FOR 2007/08 1.SUMMARY This report provides details of an objection received to the Council’s proposed revised scale of fees and charges in relation to hackney carriages, private hire vehicles and operator licences. 2.RECOMMENDATION Recommendation to Council To be determined as presented. 3.BACKGROUND 3.1In accordance with statutory requirements the Council’s proposed fees and charges for the grant of vehicle and operator licences effective from 1st April, 2007 have been advertised in the Mansfield Chad newspaper. Appendix 1 refers. 3.2In accordance with the timescales allowed within the legislation an objection has been received from the Chairman of the Mansfield Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Association. The ground for the objection is that “the fees to be charged by the Council are excessive and unreasonable in the context of the Act”. The objection letter is appended at Appendix 2. 3.3The Chairman of the Association states in his letter that a more detailed statement of the grounds for objection would be submitted. This detail has been received. Appendix 3 refers. 3.4.1The approved budget for taxi licensing for the year 2007/8 currently indicates an estimated £3,800 surplus of income over expenditure. Appendix 4 refers. However, the latest forecast outturn for the year 2006/7 shows an estimated income of £79,158 with a consequent loss of £10,801 therefore it is likely that the estimates for the year 2007/8 have been overstated. 3.4.2The budget shows a staff allocation of 2.49 full time equivalent which is lower than the 3.75 full time equivalent posts within the financial estimates for the year 2006/7. 3.4.3Figures from the Council’s Financial Services Section show a loss on the budget for the years 2004/5 of £7,078 and a loss of £2,541 for the year 2005/6 together with an anticipated predicted loss of £10,801 for this financial year. Appendix 5 refers. 3.4.4As a consequence of this a decision has been taken to leave one full time equivalent post unfilled with a view to maintaining a more balanced budget over a period of time. 3.4.5The effect of this will be to change the comparative data table in the submission by the Chairman of the Mansfield Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Association to:- |
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| Author: | Nidge2 [ Sun Dec 15, 2013 6:45 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: How can LA's justify high licensing fees ? |
mancityfan wrote: They just pluck a figure out of the Sky. I questioned them once about the price of a 3 year badge which is £250 + a CRB every year and a DVLA licence check every year =£370 over the border in Mansfield a 3 year badge is £150. The head of licensing was trying to tell me that Ashfield was on par with Mansfield. He soon changed his mind when I Emailed him a copy of Mansfield's badge fees which clearly shows £150 for a 3 year badge. Who ever is representing Mansfield? Is doing a very good job, you need him in Ashfield, since there fees have been challenged there has been no increase, and no increase for the next year, surely you must no him? Perhaps for a small fee he will help you. http://www.mansfield.gov.uk/CMADattachm ... tefees.doc[/quote] No one is representing them in Mansfield. They've got a decent Council that's all.[/quote] Your wrong, this tells me different? Wow no increase since 2007 and a reduction in 2014. Whose representing the Ashfield trade.? Report of Licensing Team Leader To LICENSING COMMITTEE On 13TH MARCH, 2007 LOCAL GOVERNMENT (MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS) ACT 1976 – SECTION 70 – OBJECTION TO PROPOSED INCREASE IN LICENSING FEES FOR 2007/08 1.SUMMARY This report provides details of an objection received to the Council’s proposed revised scale of fees and charges in relation to hackney carriages, private hire vehicles and operator licences. 2.RECOMMENDATION Recommendation to Council To be determined as presented. 3.BACKGROUND 3.1In accordance with statutory requirements the Council’s proposed fees and charges for the grant of vehicle and operator licences effective from 1st April, 2007 have been advertised in the Mansfield Chad newspaper. Appendix 1 refers. 3.2In accordance with the timescales allowed within the legislation an objection has been received from the Chairman of the Mansfield Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Association. The ground for the objection is that “the fees to be charged by the Council are excessive and unreasonable in the context of the Act”. The objection letter is appended at Appendix 2. 3.3The Chairman of the Association states in his letter that a more detailed statement of the grounds for objection would be submitted. This detail has been received. Appendix 3 refers. 3.4.1The approved budget for taxi licensing for the year 2007/8 currently indicates an estimated £3,800 surplus of income over expenditure. Appendix 4 refers. However, the latest forecast outturn for the year 2006/7 shows an estimated income of £79,158 with a consequent loss of £10,801 therefore it is likely that the estimates for the year 2007/8 have been overstated. 3.4.2The budget shows a staff allocation of 2.49 full time equivalent which is lower than the 3.75 full time equivalent posts within the financial estimates for the year 2006/7. 3.4.3Figures from the Council’s Financial Services Section show a loss on the budget for the years 2004/5 of £7,078 and a loss of £2,541 for the year 2005/6 together with an anticipated predicted loss of £10,801 for this financial year. Appendix 5 refers. 3.4.4As a consequence of this a decision has been taken to leave one full time equivalent post unfilled with a view to maintaining a more balanced budget over a period of time. 3.4.5The effect of this will be to change the comparative data table in the submission by the Chairman of the Mansfield Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Association to:-[/quote] An Association which represents about 10 drivers (all Private Hire drivers) isn't a force to be reckoned with is it? |
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| Author: | mancityfan [ Sun Dec 15, 2013 6:57 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: How can LA's justify high licensing fees ? |
Well I don't know how many they represent? But they have certainly achieved a lot, they most definitely put Ashfield reps to shame. 7yrs with no increase in fees, and even a slight reduction, that's pretty big really. |
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