Miscellaneous Licensing Committee - 18 July 2025

The Miscellaneous Licensing Committee began the meeting with routine procedural matters. The Democratic Officer reported on the emergency evacuation and domestic procedures, and no declarations of interest were recorded. Councillors Ball and Moorcroft moved, and the committee resolved, that the minutes of the 20 June 2025 meeting were correctly recorded and would be signed by the Chairman. In accordance with the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), the committee also resolved to exclude the press and public from the consideration of certain items on the basis that they involved exempt information relating to an individual.

The committee considered four licence applications. The first, from applicant E1D177 for a Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle driver’s licence, was refused after members noted four convictions from a 2022 application, the applicant’s failure to declare those offences, and a safeguarding assessment that the applicant was not a fit‑and‑proper person. The second application, from applicant CD284 for a renewal of a similar licence, was initially moved for refusal but the motion was defeated; a subsequent motion to grant the licence was passed. Members accepted a one‑off insurance endorsement as a genuine mix‑up and concluded that the applicant was fit‑and‑proper, while advising him to comply with all licence conditions. The third application, from applicant E1D209 for a review of an existing licence, resulted in a resolution that no further action be taken; the committee accepted the applicant’s explanation and supporting evidence from his employer, finding him to be a fit‑and‑proper person.

The remaining three matters involved refusals or revocations. Applicant WD204’s renewal was refused after members identified undisclosed points on his driver’s licence and a 28‑day disqualification that had not been reported to the council, concluding that he was not fit‑and‑proper. Licences for applicants WD205 and WD206 were revoked with immediate effect under Section 61(2B) of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976. In WD205’s case, multiple complaints about dangerous driving and alleged drug‑related behaviour, together with a lack of response to council contact, led the committee to find reasonable cause for revocation. For WD206, concerns about medical fitness, insufficient evidence of compliance with Group 2 medical standards, and a failure to attend the hearing prompted a similar revocation decision.

Across all items, the committee repeatedly referred to the Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards and emphasized the overriding consideration of public safety. The meeting included a short comfort break (12:08 – 12:22) and a lunch adjournment (13:15 – 13:47). The decisions taken reflect the committee’s assessment of each applicant’s fitness to hold a licence and its commitment to protecting the public.