Demand for taxi licences soaring in Sefton but nobody knows why
“We’ve actually made a few bob out of that then, haven’t we?”
Hello and welcome to the midweek edition of The Southport Lead.
If you’ve ever looked at the signs on taxis in, well anywhere in the UK, you’ll likely have noticed a weird amount are registered in Wolverhampton. Over one five month period, the Midlands council processed 30 times more applications than its neighbours thanks to a reputation for quicker processing, cheaper fees and a higher pass rate.
Under the current system - one which has been challenged by likely next Prime Minister Andy Burnham is his former job - taxi drivers are able to get a licence in one part of the county and then work in another.
Its an issue which has caused a headache for councils as it is more difficult to challenge those who operate poorly but in Sefton a different problem has occurred - a surge in the number of people applying for licences here to allow them to work elsewhere. What makes this all the more unusual is that no-one at the council knows why, while there were even warnings over a lack of taxi drivers working in the borough just a few months ago.
Southport briefing
👍 Southport MP Patrick Hurley paid tribute to Sir Keir Starmer after the Prime Minister announced his planned departure. Last weekend, Hurley wrote in The Southport Lead that he believed Starmer had done a good job but that it was time to step down with Andy Burnham seen as the ideal candidate to take over. He built on those comments after Starmer made the announcement outside 10 Downing Street on Monday, stating: “Keir Starmer leaves office having changed the course of his party and, as a result, the course of his country. He bequeaths to his successor a Labour Party stronger than the one he inherited, a government that literally millions of people are rooting to do better, and a political legacy that will long outlive the contests and controversies of the present day. History will be kind in its judgement.”
🍸 The first Southport Cocktail Week will take place this summer with more than 20 venues already signed up to take part. Building on the success of the recent Southport Beer Week, Southport BID is organisiung the new event in an effort to encourage people to visit the town centre and try new bars and creations. Each venue will have at least two exclusive drinks created for the event and priced from £5 with visitors needing a wristband to take advantage of the offers. There will also be bespoke guidebooks featuring cocktail listings for each venue, maps and other useful information and money collected from wristband purchases will be donated to Queenscourt Hospice. Southport BID Head of Operations Luke Randles said: “The ambition was to always expand this format to other hospitality events and we are delighted to be working alongside BID businesses to launch Southport Cocktail Week this August. The event will be a celebration of cocktails, creativity, and the vibrant hospitality offer we have in Southport town centre. One of the things that we love about Southport Beer Week is that local businesses really get involved and make it what it is - and that local people really get right behind it too! It’s been a busy year of high-profile events in Southport. We want to complement that with even more for visitors to enjoy. Watch this space for more announcements on similar events later in the year.”
🙌 Sefton Council has been shortlisted for a Social Impact Award at the annual North West Regional Construction Awards in recognition for work done as part of its Active Travel, Place Making and Public Realm Programmes. According to the council, £5.9m of social value has been delivered across multiple schemes, including through engaging with thousands of students, providing hundreds of weeks of apprenticeships, and investing more than over £20,000 towards community projects. The authority and its partners have worked to ensure that major highway schemes, such as Les Transformations de Southport, Maritime Corridor, and Southport Eastern Access, have delivered a wider positive social impact in the community outside of the direct scheme benefits themselves. As part of this, Balfour Beatty worked with local organisations including Sefton@Work, Care Experienced Hub, and Hugh Baird to provide two 45-day placements for T-Level students, a six-month paid placement for a care leaver, 400 weeks of apprenticeships, and 140 staff hours supporting local schools and colleges through workshops and fairs.
🌈 The second part of the annual Sefton Pride celebration is taking part in Southport this weekend following the first half which was held in Bootle earlier this month. On Sunday, a Pride march will travel from Victoria Park and along Duke Street to Southport Market at 12.45pm before there is music, dance, and artisan stalls at a Southport Pride Market organised by Merseyside Queer Markets. Other events include an evening of classic house music with DJs performing at Parkinsons Books and a lineup of films at Southport Bijou Cinema. The Sefton Pride event takes place on the same day as the Southport Armed Forces Day, which will include events at The Atkinson and in Kings Gardens.
Mystery of Sefton’s taxi licence surge
By Emma Morgan, additional reporting by Jamie Lopez
Sefton has seen a large increase in the number of taxi drivers applying for licences, but only half of applicants are based in the borough. The council is experiencing the highest level of demand ever for the licences, councillors heard at a recent meeting.
At a Sefton Council Licensing and Regulatory Committee meeting earlier in June, principal licensing officer Mark Toohey said around 50 new drivers apply each week and that the number of knowledge tests applicants have to take is also increasing to cope with demand. The council is at a loss as to what is behind the surge.
By April 1 this year, the total number of live taxi licences was 12,957 compared to 10,958 on the same day last year.
Half of those being granted new licences are from outside the Liverpool City Region.
Some 4,109 knowledge tests have been offered to applicants in the past year, compared to 1,165 in 2024/5. The pass rate was 58%, and 993 people did not attend their test, although they will have paid the £50 application fee regardless.
Committee chair Cllr John Kelly noted: “We’ve actually made a few bob out of that then, haven’t we?”
Documents published this week show that in May, Bootle One Stop Shop offered 480 tests, with 142 people failing to attend and 220 people passing and securing a Sefton licence.
At the scrutiny committee meeting, Cllr Dominic McNabb, who represents Thornton and Hightown, asked why there has been a rise in the number of applications, and if it means revenue is up with regards to this area of the council’s responsibilities.
Mr Toohey confirmed there is more money, and said the authority’s reserve fund was looking “fairly healthy”. Extra staff are being recruited to deal with applications.
He said he does not think people apply for licences in Sefton because of the price, which is broadly in line with neighbouring boroughs.
However, he added he believes Sefton is seen as an “efficient” borough when it comes to processing applications, which perhaps makes it an “attractive” place to apply for a licence.
What makes the situation all the more unusual locally is that in August, driver shortages were cited as one of the reasons for fares needing to increase. Among the changes introduced then were new fares which saw the cost of a one mile journey increase by 30p £5.10 and, under a request from the Hackney Carriage Trade - those which operate from taxi ranks - bringing forward higher tariffs from 11pm to 9pm each night. This would mean an extra two hours where fares start from £4 rather than £3.20 and was designed to encourage more drivers to operate later at night and service the night-time economy.
