Issue - meetings

To consider a confidential report by the Head of Planning and Public Protection Services seeking members’ determination of an application received from Applicant No. 044879 for a licence to drive hackney carriage and private hire vehicles.

RESOLVED that the application for a hackney carriage and private hire vehicle drivers licence from Applicant No. 044879 be granted.

A confidential report by the Head of Planning, Regeneration and Regulatory Services (previously circulated) was submitted upon –

(i)                 an application received from Applicant No. 044879 for a licence to drive hackney carriage and private hire vehicles;

(ii)               the officers having not been in a position to grant the application in light of the information revealed following an enhanced disclosure from the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB);

(iii)             a summary of the convictions disclosed having been provided which related to a number of offences spanning a period from 1982 to 1995;

(iv)              the Council’s current policy with regard to the relevance of convictions, and

(v)                the Applicant having been invited to attend the meeting in support of his application and to answer members’ questions thereon.

The Licensing Officer (JT) provided a summary of the report and advised that the Applicant was in attendance at the meeting.  She indicated that the matter had been brought before the committee to assess the Applicant’s suitability to hold a licence given the nature of the convictions.

The Applicant addressed the committee in support of his application advising that he was an experienced driver having held a DVLA driving licence for years free of motoring convictions.  He considered himself to be good with the public and believed he could provide a valuable public service.  He also expressed his regret over his past advising that he had turned his life around since that time.  In response to questions the Applicant detailed his family commitments and responsibilities and his previous employment history.  He also spoke of his desire to gain employment as a licensed driver which he believed would be a positive move.

At this juncture the committee adjourned to consider the case and it was –

RESOLVED that the application for a hackney carriage and private hire vehicle drivers licence from Applicant No. 044879 be granted.

The reasons for the Licensing Committee’s decision were as follows –

Members noted that the offences were spent, had taken place a significantly long time ago, and that the Applicant had been free from convictions for approximately seventeen years.  Consequently members accepted the Applicant’s submission that he had turned his life around since that time and noted his family circumstances and responsibilities.  The committee also noted that granting the application was in line with their own policy regarding the relevance of convictions and the timeframe provided for the Applicant to be free from convictions.  Accordingly members considered the Applicant to be a fit and proper person to hold a hackney carriage and private hire drivers licence.

The Chair conveyed the committee’s decision and reasons for that decision to the Applicant.