Miscellaneous Licensing Committee - 23 January 2026

**Procedural matters** – The Committee first confirmed that the minutes of the Miscellaneous Licensing Committee meeting held on 5 December 2025 were correctly recorded and authorised the Chairman’s signature. A resolution was also passed, under the Local Government Act 1972, to exclude the press and public from the consideration of certain items that involved the disclosure of exempt personal information.

**Renewals granted** – The Committee approved the renewal of several Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle licences despite the applicants’ prior warnings, speeding offences and, in two cases, a 2023 conviction for possession of an offensive weapon. Applicants W2D192, W2V78, E1D190, CD288 and CD289 were each found to be “fit and proper” after the Committee considered the reports, the applicants’ statements, the absence of safeguarding concerns and the fact that the offences were historic. In each of these cases the Committee explicitly departed from the standard seven‑year policy for weapon‑related convictions, concluding that the applicants had shown no further misconduct and that public safety would not be compromised.

**Revocations** – Licences were revoked with immediate effect for six drivers who were judged not to be fit and proper. The revocations applied to WD216, WV169, E1D217, EV21, E1D218 and CD293. The Committee cited repeated conduct breaches, including the unauthorised use of a licensed vehicle for personal purposes, failure to attend PACE interviews, undisclosed offences, and, in two instances, illegal tobacco sales to a council officer. Each decision was made under Section 61(2B) of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, with the overriding aim of protecting public safety.

**Other outcomes** – One application (CD291) was refused because the applicant had been disqualified under the “totting‑up” procedure, a circumstance that the Council’s guidelines prohibit licence grant for five years. The application of CD292 was deferred pending additional medical evidence to confirm compliance with Group 2 medical standards. Overall, the Committee’s deliberations were driven by the statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards and a consistent emphasis on the public’s safety and the suitability of licence holders.