Licensing Latest
Safety Issue - Kia Sedona MPV
25 August 2009
An issue has arisen with regards to the licensing of the Kia Sedona multi purpose vehicle for Private Hire and Hackney use - please see our briefing note| for further details.
Consultation on three yearly review of the Statement of Principles for the Gambling Act 2005
3 August 2009
The Torfaen County Borough Council Statement of Principles for the Gambling Act 2005 is due for review and will be considered by the Council on the 3rd November 2009. The policy has been amended to reflect changes in guidance issued by the Gambling Commission and primary legislation. The Council will also reconsider the resolution not to have casinos in the County Borough and it will be the recommendation that this resolution is renewed for the coming three year period.
You are invited to make representations on the proposed policy. The closing date for receipt of representations is the 30th of September 2009.
You may view the document on our Gambling Act 2005| pages.
Street Trading Policy
21 July 2009
On the 30th June 2009 the council agreed to amend the control of street trading in the borough of Torfaen to designate all streets as consent streets, except for those designated as prohibited streets. This resolution will come into force on the 10th August 2009. For more information visit our Street Trading| page.
New Fee Schedule
24 June 2009
The Scale of Fees for all licences and permits administered by Torfaen Licensing has been updated and is available. The new charges take effect from 1st July 2009
Executive Member Report - Fee Increases
24 June 2009
As promised at the meeting on the 7th April 2009 the notes of the discussion| and the Fee Increase Report| can be found here. I am sorry it was not put up sooner. I will be looking to set a further meeting sometime in August-you will all be notified of the date.
Steve Bendell
New Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Newsletter Available
10 June 2009
The Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Newsletter| is now available for you to read online. It contains useful guidance and advice, including the new fee structure which comes in to force on 1st July 2009.
Department for Transport "Consultation on Improving Access to Taxis"
16 April 2009
The DfT is currently consulting on changes to accessibility requirements for taxis. Interested parties can view the document at the Department for Transport Website| or by visiting us at County Hall, Cwmbran. Responses must be received by 24 April 2009, to either:
taxiconsultation@dft.gsi.gov.uk| or:
Paul Lawry
Accessibility and Equalities Unit
Department for Transport
2/25 Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DR
The Council's response to the DFT Consultation| can be found here.
Cab Safe
25 November 2008
From the 1st December 2008 a partnership between each of the 5 ex-Gwent local authorities and Heddlu Gwent Police is launching the Cab Safe scheme. This will enable any person in the Gwent area who wishes to book a licensed hackney carriage or private hire vehicle to use their mobile phones and text the word "CAB" to 83222. For More details, visit our Cab Safe| page.
Street Trading Consultation
7 November 2008
Our Street Trading pages contain details of the current consultation on the Council's Draft Operating Policy for Street Trading in the County Borough.
Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Cars - New fees applicable from 1 September 2008
1 September 2008
The fees payable for Hackney Carriages and Private Hire Cars have changed. Please visit the Fees page| for more details
New Telephone Numbers
16 July 2008
The telephone numbers to contact the Licensing team have changed - please use the number on the right of this page to contact us. Our email address has not changed
Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Policy
17 June 2008
A New Private Hire and Hackney Carriage policy was approved by the Cabinet Committee of Torfaen County Borough Council on the 17th June 2008, it will come into effect on the 1st July 2008. There are some significant changes to existing procedure and restrictions.
Please refer to the policy| for full details on each of these points and all other provisions that are required by drivers and operators, in particular the vetting procedures for drivers and testing of vehicles.
Annual Fee review
April 2008
The Council's fees have been reviewed recently, with some changes being applied. The Licensing fees document |covers all of the licences administered by us.
Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy - Consultation Ends
5 February 2008
The consultation on the proposed policy has now ended. Information about any changes to be made and its ultimate adoption will appear on the Private Hire and Hackney Carriages| pages.
Licensing Act 2003 - Policy Review
8 January 2008
Torfaen's policy governing how we will operate the Licensing Act 2003 has been reviewed. The latest version can be viewed via the Licensing Act 2003 page|
Older News
Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy - Public Meeting
19 December 2007
A Public Meeting is to be held to discuss the proposed policy (consultation ends on 4th February).
The meeting will be held on 7 January 2008 at 5pm, in the Lecture Theatre, County Hall, Cwmbran
Notice of Review - Kingfisher Public House, Leadon Court, Thornhill
4 December 2007
Please note that consultation on this review application is now closed
A Notice of Application to Review the Premises Licence on the Kingfisher Public House, Leadon Court, Thornhill has been received. The Notice of Application for the Kingfisher Public House| can be viewed here. (PDF, 10KB)
Notice of Review - Mason's Arms, Station Road, Griffithstown
28 November 2007
Please note that consultation on this review application is now closed
A Notice of Application to Review the Premises Licence on the Mason's Arms in Station Road, Griffithstown has been received. The Notice of Application for the Masons Arms| can be viewed here. (PDF, 10KB)
Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy Consultation
6 November 2007
The proposed Policy for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire in Torfaen is now available to download and comment on in our Private Hire Vehicles and Hackney Carriages| pages
New Gambling Act Leaflets
8 October 2007
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has produced new leaflets covering a selection of areas which the public and trade may have questions about. Visit our Gambling Act| pages for more information.
Licensing Act 2003 Policy Review
28 September 2007
The Licensing Act 2003 requires that Licensing Authorities prepare a Licensing Policy and that this policy is reviewed every 3 years. It is now time for the policy to be reviewed.
The policy and details of how to comment can be found on the main Licensing Act 2003 page|.
Out of Date Licence Information
1 September 2007
Recent visits to licensed premises have revealed several cases where details have changed, but we have not been informed, leaving licences invalid. If a Designated Premises Supervisor changes, an application must be made to change the licence. More information is available on the Licensing Act 2003 page|.
Gambling Act 2005
The council has issued converted Premises licences and is now accepting all other applications under the new act. Visit our Gambling Act| pages for information and application forms.
Gambling Act 2005
The government has issued the forms necessary for applications to be made under the new Gambling Act. You may now apply to us. Further information can be found on the Gambling Act| pages. If the form you require is not available yet, please contact us.
The Wales Smoking Ban has arrived!
We have put lots of information about the ban, how it will affect you and what you need to do on the Smoking Ban| pages. The pages also contain information on what Torfaen has been doing to assist those affected.
Cab Safe Campaign
Torfaen Licensing have introduced the Cab Safe campaign. Further information can be found on the Cab Safe| pages
Opening Hours for Licensed Premises
Many Licensed premises in Torfaen have extended opening hours on certain occasions. If you have any queries regarding the opening hours of a premises in Torfaen, then you may consult the Licensing Register for details.
Consultation on Street Trading Consents Operating Policy
The draft Operating Policy for Street Trading Consents within Torfaen is available for consultation by visiting the Street Trading Consents| page.
The consultation period ends on 28th February 2007. Following this the final draft will be submitted to the full council in April 2007 for final approval.
If you wish to make comments on the draft Policy, please contact us.
Licensing Act Fee Invoices Issued
Torfaen Licensing Authority has recently sent out Invoices for the Annual Fees due under the Licensing Act 2003. If you have any queries regarding these fees please do not hesitate to contact us.
Statement of Principles for Gambling Act 2005
The document has been approved at Full Council and is available to view from the Gambling Act| page.
Wales Smoking Ban to begin in April
The Health Act 2006 devolved powers to the National Assembly for Wales to make regulations for a ban on smoking in enclosed public places in Wales. The new law came into force on 2nd April 2007. Further information is available in English| or Welsh| here.
Variation of Fees for Hackney Carriage/Private Hire Vehicle and Operators' Licence
Information on the variation of fees| is available here.