Members of the private hire and hackney carriage trade have objected to fee rises that Telford & Wrekin Council's regulatory committee will be asked to approve on Wednesday 11 November. The meeting is at 6pm in the council chamber on the third floor of Southwater One.
Hackney carriage, private hire, gambling, mobile home and general licensing fees were last reviewed in 2024 and took effect on 1 April 2024. A statutory 28-day consultation on the taxi, street trading and gambling proposals ran from 28 September to 26 October 2026. Seven responses came from members of the private hire trade, and a petition was signed by 12 members of the hackney carriage trade. The report for Wednesday's meeting records both as objections to the proposed increases. No responses were received on the street trading or Gambling Act fees. Other fee changes in the same review do not require a formal consultation.
What would change
Appendix A lists the 2024/25 fees beside the proposed 2026/27 charges. A hackney carriage or private hire vehicle renewal would rise from £145 to £160, and a new vehicle application from £155 to £170. A vehicle transfer would rise from £105 to £120.
A driver renewal would rise from £162 to £190, and a new driver application from £172 to £200. A vehicle compliance inspection fee of £40 is proposed, where the table shows no fee now. The report to the committee states: "The Vehicle Compliance Inspection Fee has been introduced to support vehicle proprietors and to recover the costs associated with the administration and delivery of vehicle inspections. These inspections are carried out prior to the grant or renewal of a vehicle licence and are required either annually or every six months, depending on the age of the vehicle. The fee covers officer time in arranging, conducting and recording inspections, ensuring that licensed vehicles continue to meet the Council's safety and compliance standards."
Private hire operator fees would rise with the size of the fleet. A new operator licence would move from £655 to £690 for one to five cars, from £860 to £910 for six to 20, from £1,000 to £1,060 for 21 to 50, and from £1,170 to £1,250 for 50 or more. Renewals on the same bands would move from £430 to £450, from £630 to £670, from £780 to £830, and from £950 to £1,020. An operator transfer would rise from £105 to £120. A change of operator details would stay at £70.
The same appendix also proposes higher fees for street trading, pavement licences, animal establishments, park homes and a range of other licences. Scrap metal fees are included for information only, because Cabinet has to approve those.
The legal limit on the fees
The council can recover the cost of administering hackney carriage and private hire licences. The fee has to relate to issue, administration and enforcement, and it must not make a profit. Section 53 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 covers driver licences. Section 70 covers vehicle and operator licences, including the cost of stands and of controlling and supervising the vehicles.
In setting a fee the council has to consider the effect on the livelihood of the licence holder, and it follows Local Government Association guidance on locally set fees. The fees in this review were calculated on a cost-recovery basis, using the costs the law allows the council to recover. An increase is described as needing to stay reasonable and proportionate, so the cost of licensing does not fall on local taxpayers.
If the committee agrees
The recommendation is to approve the fees in Appendix A. The £40 inspection fee would take effect immediately. Every other revised charge would start on 1 April 2027.
The committee could leave the fees as they are. The cost of administering the licences, and of monitoring compliance while each licence is active, would then not be recovered. A legal challenge is treated as a financial risk, limited by following current fee-setting guidance.