The Licensing and Environmental Protection Committee of St. Helens Council met on Wednesday 10 September 2025 to discuss taxi licensing fees for 2025/26. The committee was also scheduled to review the minutes from a previous meeting held on 15 July 2025.

Taxi Licensing Fees 2025/26

The committee was asked to consider and approve the proposed taxi licensing fees for 2025/26. The report pack included a recommendation to approve the fees as outlined in Appendix 1, and to approve a 28-day statutory consultation period following the committee's approval.

The report stated that the council has the statutory power to set fees to recover the costs of issuing licences and providing associated services, but is not permitted to make a profit.

A minor adjustment to the existing fees was proposed for the Essential Skills training, as this fee had not been reviewed for more than three years. The report stated that engaging an external trainer had changed the delivery model, and the revised cost would ensure the service functions on a full cost recovery model.

The report also noted a significant increase in taxi applications, with over 300 new applications received between late January and March 2025. There were reportedly over 1,000 applications awaiting assessment and processing. The additional income generated from these applications was intended to be used to increase human resources to manage the increased demand.

The report outlined the procedure for varying fees, as required by Section 70(2) of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, which includes:

• Calculating fees based on allowable expenditure.
• Referring fees to the committee for approval of the proposed fee and consultation process if the cost exceeds £25.00 per licence.
• Publishing a notice in a local newspaper allowing at least 28 days for objections, while also displaying the notice on council premises.
• If no objections are received, the fees automatically take effect the day after the consultation ends.
• If objections are received, referring them to the committee for consideration within two months of the original specified date.

The report also referenced relevant case law, including Hemming v Westminster City Council 2015 and Manchester City Council ex parte King, regarding the setting of licence fees.

Minutes from 15 July 2025

The committee was scheduled to approve the minutes from the meeting held on 15 July 2025. During that meeting, the committee reportedly reviewed a Hackney Carriage/Private Hire Driver's Licence (Ref: HD6368) and resolved to revoke the licence. They also reportedly considered applications for Hackney Carriage/Private Hire Driver's Licences (Ref: FA, LF and MSA) and resolved to refuse all of them.