Urgent Driver/Operator/Vehicle Sub Committee - 31 October 2025

The meeting opened with a motion moved by Councillor Batters and seconded by Councillor Moorcroft to elect Councillor O’Keefe as Chairman for the session. The motion was carried, and no declarations of interest were recorded.

Subsequently, Councillor Moorcroft moved, and the Chairman seconded, a resolution to exclude the press and public from a portion of the meeting in accordance with the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended). The exclusion was justified on the basis that the business to be considered involved the disclosure of exempt information relating to an individual.

The Committee then considered a report presented by the Licensing Officer concerning an application for the review of a Hackney carriage and private‑hire vehicle driver’s licence held by the applicant identified as WD212. The applicant attended the meeting, made a spoken submission, and provided a written statement in support of his case. The report detailed recent allegations that WD212 had failed a roadside drug test, testing positive for cannabis and cocaine, and had been stopped and arrested by police while driving. Although WD212 had not yet been charged and was awaiting blood‑test results, the Committee noted that he had complied with the licence condition to notify the Council of his arrest.

After discussion of the evidence, the Chairman moved, and Councillor Batters seconded, a resolution to revoke WD212’s licence with immediate effect under Section 61(2B) of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976. The Committee concluded that the driver was not a fit and proper person to hold a licence, that the drug‑test failure posed a serious public‑safety risk, and that allowing him to operate a vehicle would be inconsistent with statutory taxi and private‑hire standards. The decision was described as reasonable, proportionate, and necessary to protect the public.