Agendas, reports and minutes

Highland Licensing Committee

Date: Tuesday, 16 September 2025

Agenda: Read the Agenda

A meeting of the Highland Licensing Committee will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Tuesday 16 September 2025 at 11.00 am.

You are invited to attend and a note of the business to be considered is attached.

Webcast Notice: This meeting will be filmed and broadcast over the internet on the Highland Council website and will be archived and available for viewing for 12 months thereafter.

Members are reminded that during determination of Licensing Items, in order to be entitled to participate in any vote, Members must be present throughout all of the proceedings.

Members are further reminded that mobile devices, including mobile phones, can be used for following the agenda/reports and delivering speeches but should not be used for any form of communication (text or tweet) during the meeting.

Yours faithfully

Claire McArthur, Principal Solicitor – Regulatory Services
(for Head of Legal and Governance)

Business

1. Apologies for absence
Leisgeulan

2. Declarations of interest
Foillseachaidhean Com-pàirt

Members are asked to consider whether they have an interest to declare in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting. Any Member making a declaration of interest should indicate whether it is a financial or non-financial interest and include some information on the nature of the interest. Advice may be sought from Officers prior to the meeting taking place.

3. Confirmation of minutes
Dearbhadh a’ gheàrr-chunntais

There is submitted for confirmation as a correct record the minute of the meeting of the Highland Licensing Committee held on 5 August 2025.

4. Licences granted under delegated powers
Ceadachdan a bhuilicheadh fo ùghdarras air a thiomnadh

There is circulated Report No HLC/130/25 by the Principal Solicitor which details all Licences which have been granted under delegated powers under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 granted in the period from 24 July 2025 to 3 September 2025.

The Committee is invited to note the report.

4.1 Short Term Let Licences granted under delegated powers
Ceadachd Aontaidhean Màil Geàrr-ùine Ceadachdan a bhuilicheadh fo ùghdarras air a thiomnadh

There is circulated Report No HLC/131/25 by the Principal Solicitor which details all Short Term Let Licences which have been granted under delegated powers under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 granted in the period from 23 July 2025 to 3 September 2025.

The Committee is invited to note the report.

5. Pending applications – 3 monthly considerations
Iarrtasan ri thighinn – beachdachaidhean 3 mìosach

There is circulated Report No HLC/132/25 by the Principal Solicitor relating to applications which are currently pending for the grant or renewal of licences under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982.

The Report recommends that the Committee agree to defer the determination of the applications, either:

(a) to allow them to be approved under delegated powers in the event that no objections/representations are received and all outstanding documentation has been received from the applicants; or

(b) to a future meeting of the Committee when the applications will be determined in terms of the Hearings Procedure.

5.1 Short Term Let Pending applications – 3 monthly considerations
Ceadachd Aontaidhean Màil Geàrr-ùine Iarrtasan ri thighinn – beachdachaidhean 3 mìosach

There is circulated Report No HLC/133/25 by the Principal Solicitor outlining the Short Term Let applications which are currently pending for the grant or renewal of licences under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982.

6. Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982
Review of taxi tariff 2025/2026
Achd Riaghaltais Chatharra (Alba) 1982 Ath-bhreithneachadh air Taraif Tagsaidh 2025/2026

There is circulated Report No HLC/134/25 by the Principal Solicitor relating to the statutory requirement to undertake, and complete, a review of the Council’s taxi tariff within 18 months of the current tariff coming into effect.

The Committee are invited to:

(i) consider the information contained in the report and any further submissions made to the Committee by taxi operators attending the meeting and then agree a draft tariff for public consultation;

(ii) agree that an advertisement be placed in the Press & Journal (Highland Edition) detailing the Licensing Committees proposal in relation to the maximum rates of fares in respect of taxi and private hire car licensing (where the private hire cars are fixed with taxi meters) and inviting representations.

7. Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982
Private hire car driver knowledge testing
Achd Riaghaltais Chatharra (Alba) 1982 Deuchainn eòlais dhràibhearan chàraichean air fastadh prìobhaideach

There is circulated Report No HLC/135/25 by the Principal Solicitor inviting the Committee to:

(i) note the 44 responses received following the public consultation;

(ii) consider the responses contained in the report and decide whether Members wish to proceed with introducing knowledge testing for PHC drivers.

8. The Committee is asked to resolve that, under Section 50A(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the public be excluded from the meeting during discussion of the following Items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Act.

9 Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 – Part 5
Licensing of Houses in multiple occupation Achd an Taigheadais (Alba) 2006 – Pàirt 5 Ceadachd thaighean ann an ioma-chòmhnaidh

9.1 Application for the renewal of a licence for a House in Multiple Occupation – 114 Lawers Way, Inverness

There is circulated to members only Report No HLC/136/25 by the Principal Solicitor relating to an application which has been received from Martin Bruce for the renewal of a licence for a house in multiple occupation (Ward 13 – Inverness West).