Decision details

The Chairman welcomed the applicant and his potential future employer to the meeting.  He introduced the Sub-Committee members and explained the procedure for the hearing, including how the application would be determined.

The Licensing Officer presented the report to consider an application for a Private Hire / Hackney Carriage (Joint) Driver Licence.  The reason that the application was before the Sub-Committee was due to the persistent offending despite a lapse of over 10 years since the last conviction.

The Chairman and members of the Sub-Committee asked questions of the applicant, particularly relating to specific convictions, to which the applicant responded.  The Solicitor also asked specific questions in relation to each conviction.

The Chairman invited the applicant to make representations.  He provided details of the background which led to the offences that had taken place, explaining that he was a completely different character during the period of 1992 and 1997 when the offences took place.  He had moved away from the area and the social network he had there and had made a new life for himself and had not been in any trouble since then, which was over 20 years ago.  The Chairman thanked Mr Hughes for his honesty in answering the questions.

Mr Davies was invited to address the Sub-Committee and said Mr Edwards a good team player and had been honest and open with him since he applied for a job at his company.  He trusted Mr Hughes and said he got on well with all of his other employees.

The applicant said he considered himself to be a fit and proper person.

When the Chairman was satisfied that all relevant questions had been raised, he requested that the applicant, his potential future employer and the Licensing Officer leave the meeting whilst the Sub-Committee reached a decision.

Decision

In determining the application, the Sub-Committee considered the representations made and the repeat offending that had taken place, noting no offending had occurred in over 20 years.  The Sub-Committee felt that the applicant was a fit and proper person to hold a Private Hire / Hackney Carriage (Joint) Drivers Licence.

The Licensing Officer and the applicant were invited to return so that the meeting could be reconvened and were advised of the decision.

RESOLVED:

That the applicant was a fit and proper person to hold a Private Hire / Hackney Carriage Driver’s Licence under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 and that the Licence be granted.