Proposed Fees for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicles and Private Hire Operator's Licences 2026/27
Have your say on our proposed fees.
Consultation status Results publishedActivity closed. Results published.
Background
In accordance with Section 70 (1) of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, the council is required to undertake a statutory 28-day consultation when variations to hackney carriage and private hire vehicles and private hire operator's fees are proposed.
The legislation states that: "...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."
The Joint Public Protection Committee (JPPC) is required by the Inter-Authority Agreement (IAA) that set up the Public Protection Partnership (PPP) shared service, to recommend a draft set of fees and charges to each of the member Councils (Bracknell Forest and West Berkshire). The proposed fees for 2026/27 were discussed at the JPPC meeting held on Monday, 6 October 2025.
West Berkshire Council's Licensing Committee considered the proposed fees at their meeting held on Monday, 3 November 2025.
The Licensing Committee agreed that save for the hackney carriage and private hire vehicles and private hire operator's fees, all of the Public Protection Partnership Fees and Charges fees for 2026/27 would go forward for consideration as part of the council's fee setting process, with the final determination to be made at the Full Council meeting on Thursday, 26 February 2026.
The hackney carriage and private hire vehicles and private hire operator's fees would be subjected to the statutory consultation process.
What we proposed
It was proposed to increase the hourly rate from £69p/h to £74p/h for 2026/27 (an increase of 7.2%)
The proposed fees for 2026/27 are set out below:
Hackney Carriage (Taxi) and Private Hire Vehicle Licence | |
|---|---|
| Hackney Carriage Vehicle new / renewal | £333 / £296 |
| Private Hire Vehicle new / renewal | £333 / £296 |
| Private Hire Vehicle with dispensation / renewal | £333 / £296 |
| Temporary Vehicle Licence (issued up to 3 months maximum) | £296 |
| Private Hire Operator Licence | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number of vehicles | New | Renewal |
| 1 | £555.00 | £407.00 |
| 2 | £647.50 | £499.50 |
| 3 | £740.00 | £592.00 |
| 4 | £832.50 | £684.50 |
| 5 | £925.00 | £777.00 |
| 6 | £1,017.50 | £869.50 |
| 7 | £1,110.00 | £962.00 |
| 8 | £1,202.50 | £1,054.50 |
| 9 | £1,295.00 | £1,147.00 |
| 10 | £1,387.50 | £1,239.50 |
| 11 | £1,480.00 | £1,332.00 |
| 12 | £1,572.50 | £1,424.50 |
| 13 | £1,665.00 | £1,517.00 |
| 14 | £1,757.50 | £1,609.50 |
| 15 | £1,850.00 | £1,702.00 |
| 16 | £1,942.50 | £1,794.50 |
| 17 | £2,035.00 | £1,887.00 |
| 18 | £2,127.50 | £1,979.50 |
| 19 | £2,220.00 | £2,072.00 |
| 20 | £2,312.50 | £2,164.50 |
| 20 plus | £2,312.50 | £2,164.50 |
| Variation to licence | £74 | £74 |
How you took part
Comments could be submitted by email to PPPConsultations@westberks.gov.uk or by post to Mr Sean Murphy, Public Protection Manager, Public Protection Partnership, Theale Library, Church Street, Theale, Berkshire RG7 5BZ. All responses had to reach us by midnight on Thursday, 4 December 2025 to be considered.
If you have any questions about the consultation, please email our Public Protection team at PPPConsultations@westberks.gov.uk
For general enquiries about Taxi and private hire licences, please visit our webpage.
What happened next
If no objections were received or any such objections were subsequently withdrawn, the revised fees would come into operation for any licences commencing from Tuesday, 1 April 2026.
If objections were received, and not subsequently withdrawn the matter was considered by the Licensing Committee at the meeting on Monday, 19 January 2026, and any changes were recommended to Full Council for approval at their meeting on Thursday, 26 February 2026. Any variations to the fees would come into operation from Tuesday, 1 April 2026 onwards.
What you told us
You can view a summary of the outcome of the consultation here.
What we did
Members agreed at the 3 November 2025 Licensing Committee that if any objections to the hackney carriage and private hire vehicles and private hire operator’s fees were received, they be considered by the Committee at the meeting on 19 January 2026 and that any ensuing changes would then be recommended to full Council for approval. Council will discuss and agree the fees and charges at the meeting on 26 February 2026.
As no objections were received, a report was submitted to Full Council meeting on 26 February 2026 with the recommendation to adopt the fees, effective on 1 April 2026. At the meeting, the proposal was approved. The outcome of the consultation and the Council decision will be reported to the Licensing Committee Meeting on 24 March 2026.
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