Agenda item

A report from the Executive Director (Operations) is attached.

Licence Holder 01/2021

The Executive Director (Operations) submitted a report relating to Applicant 2/2021 who attended the meeting. The Chair made introduction and the Council Solicitor outlined the procedure to be followed and clarified that all those present had read the report. The report which was accepted by the Applicant set out the reasons for the Applicant being before the Committee. 

This Applicant was first granted a private hire driver’s licence on the 12April 2003, which was valid for 12 months. This was held continuously until 29October 2013 when he allowed it to lapse having recently been banned for driving following a conviction for drink driving. The Applicant reapplied for and was granted a three-year private hire driver’s licence on the 7February 2018 having been brought before the Licensing and Safety Panel. This most recently held licence having expired on the 6February 2021.

On the 16 March 2021 the Applicant submitted an online application for a private hire driver’s licence and declared convictions for failure to give information as to identity of driver in July and September 2018 for which he received 6 penalty points for each offence and fines of £300 and £600. He failed to declare these at the time.

The Applicant stated that he was using a company vehicle which was registered to the company at the time of the offences. He accepted that whilst working there he had been caught speeding on two separate occasions, however, due to an administrative error by his Private Hire Operator there was a delay in him receiving the penalty notices. Consequently, the penalty was larger as he was called to court. The Applicant maintained that he notified the Licensing Service verbally in August 2019 when trying to transfer a private hire vehicle into his own name.

It was reported that the Applicant had been before members of the Committee on two previous occasions in relation to his personal conduct and his behaviour towards Council employees.

Delegated decision:

The Committee carefully considered the report and oral representations by the Applicant and taking into account the Council’s Conviction Policy and Guidelines and in accordance with the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, resolved to grant the licence application subject to the mandatory Safeguarding Training being undertaken.</AI9>

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Licence Holder 02/2021

The Executive Director (Operations) submitted a report relating to Applicant 2/2021 who attended the meeting. The Chair made introductions and the Council Solicitor outlined the procedure to be followed and clarified that all those present had read the report. The report, which was accepted by the Applicant, set out the reasons for the Applicant being before the Committee. 

The report stated that the Applicant has held a held a private hire driver’s licence continually since 5th April 2012 until its expiry on the 26 January 2021. He submitted an online application to renew his Private Hire driver’s licence on the 8 March 2021. This declared a speeding offence, but subsequent checks revealed further speeding offences in August 2017 and December 2018, resulting in 3 penalty points and fines of £100 for each offence.

The licensing Service had no record of the offence from December 2018 and although the offence from August 2017 was declared when his private hire driver’s licence was previously renewed in January 2018, neither motoring conviction was declared within the correct time frame as stipulated in the private hire drivers licence conditions.

When interviewed the Applicant explained that he was caught by a fixed roadside traffic camera doing approximately 34mph. He was given the option to attend a speed awareness course but failed to attend. Consequently, his DVLA driving licence was endorsed with penalty points and a fine was issued. He apologised and stated that he has not tried to deliberately mislead, but simply forgot to provide notification.

Delegated decision:

The Committee carefully considered the report and oral representations by Applicant 02/2021 and taking into account the Council’s Conviction Policy and Guidelines and in accordance with the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, resolved to grant the Licence application.

Licence Holder 03/2021

Withdrawn.